A 28-year-old truck driver who pulled off eastbound Interstate 10 to help at the scene of a rollover was struck and killed by a passing vehicle, according to his family and state authorities. Relatives identified him as Timothy Patasalos and said he had gotten out of his semi to signal approaching drivers to steer around the wreck when a second vehicle hit him. He was taken to a hospital in Willcox, where he later died.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety says the chain of events started Tuesday on eastbound I-10 near Dragoon Road, when an initial rollover crash forced traffic to come to a stop. According to 13 News, one Good Samaritan at the scene was fatally struck and another person was transported to a Willcox hospital, and the AZDPS Vehicular Crimes Unit was called in to investigate.
Family speaks out
Family members told FOX 10 Phoenix that Patasalos, a 28-year-old semi-truck driver, had pulled over during stormy weather to help at the site of a rolled-over semi. They said he was trying to flag drivers safely around the wreckage when he was hit. Loved ones described him as the type of person who would always stop to help a stranger, and said the family is now left grieving a loss that came from him trying to do the right thing.
Monsoon conditions add danger
Arizona’s monsoon season is notorious for sudden storms, dust and fast-dropping visibility, conditions that can turn an interstate shoulder into a danger zone in a matter of minutes. ADOT’s safety campaign, “Pull Aside, Stay Alive,” along with its I-10 dust-detection and warning systems, is meant to cut those risks by urging drivers to avoid entering active dust storms and to pull completely off the roadway if visibility collapses, according to ADOT.
Investigation ongoing
The AZDPS Vehicular Crimes Unit is leading the investigation into the secondary collision, and troopers have not released additional details about the driver who struck Patasalos or the other person taken to the hospital, 13 News reported. Officials say more information will be made public as the investigation moves forward.
Patasalos’s death underscores how dangerous highway shoulders can become during storms and multi-vehicle incidents. ADOT advises drivers to slow down, move over for stopped vehicles and check az511.gov for current road conditions, especially during monsoon season.
