Pedestrian struck, killed on I-15 following argument at Mesquite casino

Semitractor-trailer hauling load of packages is disabled in a collision with a pedestrian on northbound Interstate 15 just south of Beaver Dam in Mohave County, Ariz., March 8, 2022 | Submitted photo, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A pedestrian was struck and killed on northbound Interstate 15 near Beaver Dam, Ariz., early Tuesday morning. Officers said that was shortly after they left a Mesquite casino in Nevada on foot following a verbal argument that later involved police.

Skid marks trail where a semitractor-trailer driver applied brakes in an attempt to avoid hitting a pedestrian on northbound Interstate 15 near Beaver Dam in Mohave County, Ariz., March 8, 2022 | Submitted photo, St. George News

Shortly after 1 a.m. MST, officers and emergency personnel were dispatched to a crash involving a pedestrian that was struck by a semitractor-trailer on northbound I-15 near mile marker 3, approximately 5 miles south of the Beaver Dam-Littlefield Exit in Arizona.

Arizona Department of Public Safety Trooper Thomas Callister told St. George News the pedestrian was walking near the shoulder on the northbound side of I-15 when he was struck by a UPS semitractor-trailer, adding the man was nearly decapitated upon impact and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver told troopers he was heading north on the interstate when the man walked directly into the path of the oncoming truck, adding the man appeared to be “walking casually” as he did so.

The UPS driver was on his way to Chicago to deliver a load of packages when the incident took place. At the scene, troopers determined the incident happened so fast that it left little time for the driver to react before the truck struck the man.

Callister said the driver was very shaken at the scene, as was the co-driver who was sleeping in the cab’s sleeper compartment at the time.

While tending to the scene on I-15, troopers were contacted by the Mesquite Police Department advising the pedestrian was involved in an incident at one of the city’s casinos shortly before the collision.

Semitractor-trailer hauling load of packages is disabled in a collision with a pedestrian on northbound Interstate 15 just south of Beaver Dam in Mohave County, Ariz., March 8, 2022 | Submitted photo, St. George News

According to Nevada authorities, Callister said, the pedestrian was with a woman at the casino when the two became involved in a verbal altercation and someone called the police. Shortly after officers arrived, the man walked off and ended up along the shoulder of I-15, where he continued heading north on foot.

Mesquite Police Sgt. Wyatt Oliver told St. George News that officers were dispatched to the casino shortly after 7:30 p.m. MST, on some type of disturbance.

They arrived to find the pair in a verbal argument, but no crime was committed so officers were cleared shortly thereafter. From there, he said, the parties went their separate ways.

Five hours later, the man was found dead on the Interstate.

The front of the semitractor was heavily damaged in the collision, Callister said. The most significant damage was to the grill of the truck that was caused by the force of the impact, which also perforated the radiator and rendered the semi inoperable. The trailer and the load were left undamaged, he said, and arrangements were made to send a second driver to pick up the load to make sure it reached its destination in Illinois as scheduled.

The semi was subsequently towed from the roadway.

No citations were issued following the incident since there was nothing to indicate any wrongdoing on the part of the driver, Callister said.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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