CHP says an I280 pedestrian fatality will require major probe

A mysterious pedestrian fatality on Interstate 280 in Daly City this morning has the California Highway Patrol turning to the public for help. There are questions about who the man might have been and why he appeared to be scrambling to get away on foot when he was struck and killed.

Officials say they believe the man was hit more than once by motorists, but so far only one driver has come forward with an admission of involvement in this odd pedestrian accident case. They are asking anyone who might have struck the man to come forward, offering assurances that they aren’t necessarily in trouble.

That said, it would seem advisable for anyone thinking of responding to the appeal to contact an attorney before doing so to be sure their rights are protected.

The bizarre events of this case began to unfold around 5:30 a.m. Officials say an SUV and a small sedan collided. The female driver of the car apparently wasn’t hurt badly, but was hospitalized as a precaution.

The driver of the SUV apparently escaped unharmed, too, but officials say he also apparently tried to flee the scene. They say he ran across the northbound lanes of the freeway twice without any incident. He reportedly then jumped the center divider and was trying to cross the southbound lanes when he was struck by several cars and killed.

Officials say they haven’t concluded that the man had done anything illegal, but they do note that the license in his wallet was not his and may have been stolen. They also say that the SUV was not reported as being stolen, but the registration in the vehicle doesn’t match the license found on the victim. Equally mysterious, officials say, is that they found a small caliber rifle and a BB gun in the SUV.

It should be interesting to see how this case gets resolved.

Source: San Jose Mercury News, “CHP: Man killed on Interstate 280 was fleeing Daly City crash,” Erin Ivie, Jan 3, 2014