MONTGOMERY CO., Ind. — A 23-year-old man from Delaware was hit and killed by a semi-truck while walking on Interstate 74 in Montgomery County after crashing a car, state police said.
The incident began when deputies were called early Monday morning to a one-car crash on I-74 westbound near the 39 mile marker. There, they found the crashed 2008 Pontiac G6 near a cable barrier, but could not find the driver.
While deputies were looking for the driver, they got a 911 call that a person was hit by a car a mile down the interstate. Indiana State Police came to the 38 mile marker on I-74 and talked to the semi-truck driver, identified by ISP as 35-year-old Daniel Hatfield from Bellbrook, Ohio.
Hatfield told police that while driving in the right lane he saw a person walking and swerved to try and avoid them. However, his truck ended up hitting the person, ISP said.
Crawfordsville EMS tried to save the victim, identified by ISP as 23-year-old Jean Roodje of Laurel, Delaware, but he was later pronounced dead at the scene by the county coroner. Investigators said they think Roodje was the driver of the Pontiac.
Hatfield was uninjured in the crash.
While the fatal crash is under investigation by state police, the original crash with the Pontiac is being investigated by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department.