A 31-year-old man from Auburn has died following a traffic accident involving a semi-truck and another vehicle in Kent. The incident occurred early in the morning last Saturday, when police officers and Puget Sound Fire responded to the 11400 block of SE 208th St. after a 911 caller claimed to be attempting CPR on the pedestrian, as reported by the Kent Police Department.
First responders arrived at the scene to find the pedestrian with significant injuries, prompting an urgent transport to Harborview Medical Center for treatment. Unfortunately, the man was pronounced dead at the hospital, according to a social media post from Kent Police Department. The traffic investigation unit, analyzing statements from the drivers and dash camera footage, above piece together the events leading up to the accident.
The crash involved a 2019 semi-truck, operated by a 32-year-old man from Maple Valley, traveling eastbound on SE 208th St. The driver reported seeing the pedestrian in the road, not in a crosswalk, and swerved in an attempt to avoid hitting him but still ended up striking the pedestrian. A following second vehicle, a 1992 Mazda driven by a 20-year-old Renton man, also saw the pedestrian lying in the roadway and swerved, which resulted in him spinning and hitting the semi-truck. The collision did not involve direct contact with the pedestrian by the second vehicle.
Both drivers stayed at the scene and cooperated with the investigation. The evidence suggests that neither speed nor impairment were a factor in the accident. "The driver of the semi-truck was properly licensed," confirmed Assistant Chief Jarod Kasner. In light of the ongoing investigation, concerns about road safety for pedestrians, particularly in areas not well serviced by crosswalks or during low-visibility hours, resurface amidst this tragedy, as reported by the Kent Police Department.
