A tragic incident occurred late last night when a man was killed after being struck by multiple vehicles while attempting to cross the Southfield Freeway. Michigan State Police received the initial call just after 11 p.m. reporting a pedestrian on the freeway near Nine Mile Road in Detroit, as Audacy reported. Subsequent calls indicated that the man was lying in the center lane.
Upon arriving at the scene, investigators determined that the man had been attempting to walk across the freeway from the right shoulder when he was hit by the first car, which did stop; however, the man was then struck by several more vehicles, the drivers of which did not stop, detailed ClickOnDetroit. Authorities believe that impairment was not a factor in the first collision. Police said the victim was not carrying any identification at the time of the accident complicating efforts to determine his identity.
The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene. According to FOX 2 Detroit, Michigan State Police later attempted to identify the man using a mobile fingerprint scanner but were unsuccessful.
Michigan State Police First Lt. Mike Shaw issued a reminder to the community stating, "We want to remind members of our community to not walk on the freeway or get out of their cars if your vehicle becomes disabled or you are in a crash. Stay in your vehicle and wear your seatbelt," in a statement obtained by ClickOnDetroit. The Medical Examiner's Office is assisting with the ongoing investigation.
