St. Cloud Man Struck and Killed by Semi Truck
Officers with the Florida Highway Patrol were among the numerous first responders to rush to the scene of an accident that resulted in the death of a pedestrian in Osceola County. According to the initial reports from the FHP, the incident happened very early on the morning of Wednesday, May 29th, and involved a tractor-trailer as well as the pedestrian.
It was shortly before 4:00am that a 75-year-old man from St. Cloud was walking along U.S. 192, close to Big Sky Boulevard. The stretch of the road where this man was walking lay between Kissimmee and St. Cloud, although it is not clear if it took place within the borders of either of these cities. Regardless, at a certain point the pedestrian decided to begin making an attempt to cross the roadway.
The area where this decision was made does not have a crosswalk, although it is close to the intersection of U.S. 192 and Big Sky Boulevard.
At the same time as the elderly individual was crossing the road, a tractor-trailer being driven by a 24-year-old Orlando resident approached the area. It is not clear if the driver of the massive truck saw the pedestrian and attempted to avoid the collision or if they were not aware of the presence of the individual on foot until it was too late. Again, the pedestrian was not walking in a crosswalk at the time of the collision, a fact which will likely come into play as the Florida Highway Patrol continues its investigation into the accident.
As might be expected, after the truck struck the 75-year-old, there was nothing that the paramedics and EMTs could do to assist them. They were declared dead at the scene of the crash.
As the initial investigation was conducted, a large swath of U.S. 192 was closed and traffic rerouted along alternate routes. It was not until many hours later that the authorities decided that the preliminary investigative work was concluded and that the area could once again be opened to normal traffic flow that travels through the area.
At the time of this writing it is not believed that any charges are pending against the driver of the truck.
Sources:
James O. Cunningham
Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.