Yesterday morning in Berrien County, tragedy struck when a semi-truck collided with a pedestrian, resulting in the death of 35-year-old Jose Hernandez. The incident occurred on eastbound I-94 near Browntown Road, as reported by WSBT, just before 4:00 a.m., prompting an immediate response from first responders.
The driver, who hails from Dearborn, believed at first that he had struck an animal. "He initially thought he had hit an animal, and said he could not avoid a collision with it," stated the driver, according to WSBT. Once he stopped his truck, however, he discovered the grim reality that it was a human being. Berrien County Sheriff's Office confirmed there were no signs of impairment from drugs or alcohol as factors in this incident.
Upon arrival at the scene, the grim discovery was made, and Hernandez was pronounced dead at the scene. As detailed by WZZM13, the Berrien County Sheriff’s Traffic Crash Unit is actively working to understand why Hernandez was on the highway, given that he had been walking some distance during the night before winding up on the interstate.
Efforts to uncover the reasons behind Hernandez's presence on the road include discussions with family members and friends, as well as analysis of phone records. The truck driver was not injured in the fatal crash. Details surrounding the crash remain under investigation, as authorities seek to put together the pieces of this unfortunate puzzle, while keeping the affected family at the heart of the inquiry, ABC57 notes in their coverage.
