A 34-year-old man from Pasadena was tragically struck and killed by a semi-truck while walking on State Route 74 in Riverside County early Wednesday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The incident occurred in the eastbound lanes of SR-74 west of Amanda Avenue in Winchester at around 2:25 a.m., and officials from the California Highway Patrol responded to the scene.
Preliminary investigations into the fatal collision suggest that a 59-year-old man from Hemet, driving a Freightliner tractor towing a trailer eastbound on SR-74, hit the pedestrian. “The Freightliner crashed into the pedestrian who was walking on the roadway,” stated a California Highway Patrol news release. “The pedestrian became airborne and was propelled in a southeasterly direction onto the shoulder of the road.”
Paramedics rushed the Pasadena resident to Loma Linda University Medical Center, but he later succumbed to the injuries sustained in the crash.
No information has been provided about the identity of the victim or why he may have been walking on SR-74. It is also unknown whether drugs or alcohol were factors in the collision.
The California Highway Patrol reminded drivers and pedestrians that, despite changes in pedestrian laws, everyone has a duty to exercise due care for their safety and the safety of others.
Investigations into the fatal incident are still ongoing. Anyone with information about the collision is urged to contact CHP Officer Digati at 951-769-2000.