Two separate and fatal pedestrian accidents on 36th Street SE in Cascade Township occurred within just over an hour of each other, leaving two men dead on Sunday night, according to reports from the Kent County Sheriff's Office. WZZM 13 detailed the first accident, involving a 54-year-old Grand Rapids man who was struck around 10 p.m. while adjusting scrap metal in his pickup truck near the I-96 ramp.
After adjusting a load in the back of his pickup truck, a man who parked on the shoulder was hit by a 74-year-old driver from Marquette, leading to immediate death. The latter remained on the scene, and "alcohol and visibility" are being considered as potential factors of the crash, per information from wwmt.com. The second incident happened around 11:18 p.m. near Raleigh Drive SE, where a 43-year-old man from Burbank, Illinois, was hit standing outside his parked semi-truck in the turn lane. Killed by a vehicle driven by a 31-year-old Grand Rapids man, alcohol involvement has been ruled out in this second crash.
Both of the victims were outside their vehicles when they were struck, indicating a tragic coincidence on the same stretch of road. As authorities investigate the incidents as completely separate occurrences, FOX 17 Online confirms that the crashes happened a mile apart along 36th Street SE. The truck involved in the first incident was parked on the side of the road when the victim was hit, and police are looking into alcohol as a possible contributing factor in the accident.
The Kent County Sheriff's Office shared their condolences with the victims' families, according to wwmt.com, recognizing the community's loss. The victims’ names have not been released as the investigation continues.
