Fillmore Man Hit by Car Dies

An elderly pedestrian was struck and killed by a motorist before dawn Tuesday as he attempted to cross a Fillmore highway, authorities said.

Philip Carl Bullard, 76, was struck at 5:55 a.m. in a crosswalk at the intersection of state Highway 126 and Olive Street, Sheriff’s Deputy Jerry Peterson said.

Bullard was taken to Santa Paula Memorial Hospital, where he died a short time later of multiple injuries, coroner’s officials said.

Investigators at the scene determined that the traffic signal was green when the Fillmore man stepped into the crosswalk but the walk sign was not activated, Peterson said. The signal turned red when he was about halfway across the four-lane highway, Peterson said.

He was struck by a Chrysler sedan driven by Santa Paula resident Charles Erb, 77, traveling east, the deputy said.

“It was still completely dark at the time, and the roadway has a lot of morning traffic,” Peterson said. “It is well lit, but the motorist just did not see him.”

Erb was not cited, he said.