Off-duty Clovis police sergeant who struck and killed Sanger woman sentenced by judge
Scott Borsch, an off-duty Clovis police sergeant, was sentenced to one year probation and 20 days of community service for a car crash that killed 51-year-old Ana Ortega of Sanger who was out on her morning walk on April 19.
It was a walk that Ortega, her husband, Adrian, and their dog Jack usually took together. But that day Adrian was in Mexico, so Ana and Jack went alone. It was about 7:50 a.m. as they walked west on a rural stretch of Clinton Avenue near Bethel Avenue, not far from their home.
Coming in the opposite direction was a fatigued Borsch, a 16-year department veteran, whose truck drifted over the center line and struck Ortega and her dog.
Borsch, 45, stopped his Chevrolet truck and tried to help, but Ortega’s injuries were too severe. She died at the scene.
Borsch was charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence. He pleaded no-contest to the charge on Friday and was sentenced by Judge Elizabeth Egan. His defense attorney was Roger Wilson.
Egan said that because Borsch’s actions were considered ordinary negligence, he was charged with a misdemeanor. Also working in his favor was his lack of a criminal history, he accepted responsibility, and he was remorseful.
Husband and children tell judge of loss
Speaking to the judge, Adrian Ortega said the death of his beloved wife has devastated the family. The two met in Mexico when they were teenagers — he was 17, and she was 16. They were married for 36 years and vowed to be together forever.
“We swore never to separate and when we came to this great country, we started working extremely hard so that our children could get a head,” Ortega said through a Spanish interpreter. “And our dreams were realized. I adored her with my entire heart and soul.”
Ortega and his wife had big plans, he said. They had finished paying off their home and were looking forward to traveling to Hawaii and Germany, where their daughter is stationed in the Air Force.
David Ortega, 35, one of the Ortegas’ three children, still can’t believe his mother is gone. A self-admitted momma’s boy, he spoke with his mother daily. They would text each other every morning.
“She always wanted to see the beautiful blue water and white sand in Hawaii,” David Ortega said. “I still wake up hoping to see a good morning text from her, hoping this was all just a nightmare.”
Speaking via Zoom, Air Force Sgt. Alondra Duenas remembered her mother as the glue that held the family together.
“My mom was the world to me,” she said, fighting back tears. “She was the one I always wanted to make proud. She made me feel safe, loved and appreciated. She was always the first to know my good news and my bad news. I will never be able to live my life the same.”
The family dog, despite suffering severe injuries, stayed by Ana Ortega’s side after the crash. He passed away Oct. 16.
“I pray that Jack provided her with some comfort in the last few seconds of her life,” Duenas said.
Sergeant remains with Clovis Police Department
Borsch spoke briefly during his sentencing, saying he was deeply sorry for the pain he has caused the Ortega family. He tried talking to the family after the crash, but he realized it was probably best to stay away.
“The Ortega family will probably hate me forever, and I know my grief and sorrow will never match theirs,” Borsch said, his family members nearby. “I have been on one side of the law my entire life and I have fought to save and protect others and to know my involvement in this has caused so much pain, I just can’t imagine. “
Borsch remains with the Clovis Police Department.
