Pedestrian killed while crossing U.S. 98

On behalf of Terence Gross of Gross & Schuster, P.A. posted in Car Accidents on Tuesday, February 21, 2012.

A Northwest Florida woman was killed while attempting to cross a highway on Sunday night. The woman, who was in her early 20s, was hit while attempting to cross U.S. Highway 98 near the Marler Bridge in Destin. Police say charges are pending an investigation.

The pedestrian accident happened at about 10:18 p.m. on Sunday. According to Northwest Florida Daily News, the Okaloosa County sheriff’s office got word of the crash when the driver of a 2012 Chevrolet called them and told them that he had run over someone.

According to police, alcohol was not a factor in the 26-year-old man’s driving, and he was wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash. He wasn’t injured and his vehicle sustained no damage. The man was described as “hysterical” when he made the call to police.

The man had apparently been traveling east on the highway when he struck the woman, who was sent onto the south shoulder of U.S. 98. She reportedly suffered severe head and hip injuries. She was flown to Sacred Heart Hospital in a medical helicopter and was pronounced dead in the early morning hours.

Police closed both eastbound lanes of the highway following the accident to allow for an investigation. Police say the woman’s phone was based in another state, but they were unable to locate any of her personal belongings following the tragic crash. They apparently conducted a search for the items on Sunday and again on Monday.

Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, “Updated: Pedestrian killed in Sunday night wreck,” Angel McCurdy, Feb. 20, 2012