Pedestrian Struck, Killed by Semi on Interstate 44
On behalf of Brown & Crouppen, P.C. posted in Motor Vehicle Accident on Wednesday, April 13, 2011
The semi truck driver knew he had hit something as he drove on Interstate 44, but he was not sure what. He thought it might have been a deer, but as he drove on to Oklahoma from the crash site, he became uncertain.
Meanwhile, the Missouri State Highway Patrol was investigating the death of a 27-year-old Duenweg man, who was discovered on the side of I-44, near the 6.2 mile marker. It was not until the Oklahoma Highway Patrol called that the two agencies put their stories together: The semi had struck and killed the 27-year-old.
According to the Carthage Press, the accident occurred around 4:40 a.m. on April 5. The driver, a 32-year-old El Paso man, was headed west on I-44 in Newton County, Missouri, when he came upon the victim and struck him on the right side of the semi’s cab. The semi drove on, though it does not appear that he intentionally fled the scene. When he reached Tulsa, the driver called the state highway patrol there. Troopers inspected his truck and found extensive damage, indicating he had hit something large.
The Oklahoma troopers called their counterparts in Missouri, who had begun investigating the victim’s death. When the truck driver found out about the victim, he drove back to Newton County to talk with troopers there. He told troopers that he thought he had hit a deer at first, but had second thoughts, which prompted him to make the call.
Investigators believe that the victim was walking close to the line between the shoulder and outside lane of I-44. They are not sure whether which side of the line he was walking on, or why he was on the intestate. A Missouri Highway Patrol spokesman said that his department’s crash team was still investigating the accident.
Source: The Carthage Press, “Duenweg man killed in truck-pedestrian accident on I-44,” John Hacker, April 5, 2011