KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A pedestrian fatally struck after walking away from his vehicle on the I-435 eastbound left hand shoulder early Thursday morning is bringing new attention to a recurring problem.
A Scout camera captured the scene near the Grandview Road overpass at about 1 a.m. Thursday morning.
According to the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, when the owner of a red Chevy Malibu parked on the shoulder walked into the nearby lane, the driver of a FedEx semi-truck hit him.
Then a second vehicle, a red Ford Escape also struck the yet to be identified man from the metro area who died at the scene.
“It’s a complete surprise to find someone in the middle of an interstate on foot. You know, there’s no expectation by a driver to see something like that,” said Sergeant Grant Ruark of KCPD Traffic Operations.
What is not a complete surprise is seeing people walking on the highway in construction zones.
As well marked as those areas are, metro law enforcement officers say workers still get hit.
“Sometimes those bright lights can be hard to see around. So it’s even more important to slow down, make sure we’re paying attention,” said Corporal Justin Ewing, Missouri State Highway Patrol spokesman.
“Anytime you see those construction zones set up in that manner, the immediate thing to do is slow down and pay closer attention to what’s going on because there are people out there on foot,” Sgt. Ruark said.
He also said there won’t be charged in the case of the pedestrian struck and killed Thursday morning, but that investigation is ongoing.
Ruark and Ewing say if you’re having car trouble on the highway, there are important safety steps to take.
They include driving the vehicle as far away from traffic as possible, turning on your emergency flashers, calling 911, and staying in your vehicle.