(Oakland, Iowa) – A woman from Oakland died last week, after she was struck by a UTV that was operating on a sidewalk. According to the Pottawattamie County Sheriff”s Office, the accident happened at around 4:30-p.m. Thursday, Dec, 26th, at 570 North Highway Street, in Oakland.

An investigation determined 84-year-old Gene Fritz was heading home from a bar after having a couple of beers, and was often the case for him, he drove on the sidewalk because, he told Deputies, he can’t see well. Fritz said also, he “drives very slow.” He acknowledged he didn’t see 83-year-old Sandra Madron until his UTV struck her. He told authorities “she must have been wearing dark clothing.

Deputies found the woman laying on her left side, with a member of the Oakland Rescue Squad providing assistance at the scene. Deputies reported that Madron had a pulse but was experiencing very shallow breathing. The report says when the ambulance arrived, Madron stopped breathing, and CPR was initiated. She was transported to Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs with CPR in progress.

Deputies conducted a traffic investigation and asked Fritz to undergo field sobriety tests due to his admission of drinking alcohol and being involved in the accident. Fritz complied with the tests and a preliminary breath test (PBT). Deputies also discovered that Fritz did not have a valid driver’s license and that the UTV was not registered for roadway use. Fritz was released to his son, while the UTV was impounded.

A little after 6-p.m., Thursday, deputies contacted Mercy Hospital and were told Sandra Madron died from her injuries.

The investigation is ongoing, and no citations or charges have been issued at this time.