A pedestrian struck early New Year’s Day on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Carbon County has been identified as an Allentown man.
Pennsylvania State Police at Pocono identified the deceased as 32-year-old Luis A. Carlo. Carlo died from multiple blunt force trauma, according to the Carbon County Coroner’s Office. The death was ruled an accident.
State police said the incident happened just before 3:30 a.m. Thursday at mile-marker 76.2 northbound of the turnpike’s Northeast Extension (Interstate 476) in Franklin Township.
Carlo was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:40 a.m. by Deputy Coroner Jason A. Nicholas.
An investigation revealed the accident happened when three separate vehicles were all stopped on the northbound shoulder of the highway: a 2010 Mazda Protege, a 2012 Dodge Ram and a Toyota Camry.
The Mazda, state police said, was disabled with a flat tire. The Dodge Ram tow truck stopped to tow the Mazda. The Toyota, driven by a witness, was parked behind those two vehicles.
A 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by a 27-year-old man from Allentown was heading north in the left lane when for an unknown reason, he swerved and traveled over to the shoulder of I-476, striking Carlo, state police said.
At the time, Carlo was standing outside his vehicle and assisting the tow truck company, state police said.
The impact caused the Jeep to overturn and Carlo was thrown in the accident, according to state police.
The Jeep driver was unhurt, but three passengers in the vehicle were injured, police said. Two female passengers, ages 27 and 31, escaped with minor injuries, while a 22-year-old female passenger suffered a suspected serious injury. Updated conditions were not immediately available Friday afternoon.
Police said the Jeep driver would be charged with reckless driving.
Pennsylvania State Police, the Carbon County District Attorney’s Office and the Carbon County Coroner’s Office continue to investigate Thursday’s accident.