By TIM FANG

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MENDOCINO COUNTY, California (KPIX) — Authorities on the Northern California coast said a hitchhiker suspected of assaulting a driver who gave him a ride died after a confrontation with deputies Thursday night.

According to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to the 2000 block of Hearst Willits Road near the town of Willits around 7 p.m. following reports of a fight between the hitchhiker and the driver. The California Highway Patrol and police from Willits also responded to the scene.

Deputies said the man “brutally assaulted” the driver who offered a ride after he entered the vehicle. The driver was admitted to a local hospital with injuries.

An arriving deputy located the man, who was seen walking in the middl

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