A 34-year-old man from Pasadena was struck and killed by a semi-truck while walking on State Route 74 in Riverside County Wednesday morning, officials with the California Highway Patrol announced.
CHP responded to the scene of the crash, located in eastbound lanes of SR-74 west of Amanda Avenue in Winchester at around 2:25 a.m.
A preliminary investigation into the fatal collision revealed that a 59-year-old man from Hemet, who was behind the wheel of a Freightliner tractor towing a trailer eastbound on SR-74 struck the male victim.
“The Freightliner crashed into the pedestrian who was walking on the roadway,” a CHP news release stated. “The pedestrian became airborne and was propelled in a southeasterly direction onto the shoulder of the road.”
Paramedics responded to the scene and took the Pasadena resident to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he later died from injuries sustained during the crash.
Authorities did not provide any information on the identity of the victim, nor did they give any reason why he might have been walking on SR-74.
It unknown if drugs or alcohol were a contributing factor in the crash.
“The California Highway Patrol would like to remind California drivers and pedestrians that although the pedestrian laws have changed, the law does not relieve pedestrians from the duty of using due care for their safety. The law also does not relieve a driver of a vehicle from the duty of exercising due care for the safety of any pedestrian within the roadway,” the release noted.
The investigation into the deadly crash is ongoing and anyone with information is urged to contact CHP Officer Digati at 951-769-2000.
