Allegan County Sheriff’s authorities have confirmed that the pedestrian found dead Friday morning on the side of the road on U.S.-131 was a motorist involved in a car-deer accident hours before he was struck and killed.
Sgt. Chris Kuhn today reported, “Information was found on the deceased individual that confirmed that he was the likely driver of the vehicle involved in the crash that was reported at 2:15 a.m. (Friday). The subject was wearing dark clothing with no reflective surfaces and would have been extremely difficult to see in that full darkness.”
The deceased pedestrian has been identified as Roky Ines Vasquez-Vasquez, 24, from the Grand Rapids area.
The driver of the vehicle that struck the pedestrian, believing he had hit a deer, is cooperating with investigators.
The sheriff’s office was assisted on the scene by the Michigan State Police, Wayland Police Department, Wayland EMS and Wayland Fire Department.
Authorities shut down the northbound lanes of the expressway marker north of Exit No. 64 Friday morning.
Sheriff’s deputies said they had been told the deceased’s vehicle had been reported to be driving erratically, crashing shortly after. When deputies arrived at the scene of the crash, they found the driver had fled the scene.
“The subject was wearing dark clothing with no reflective surfaces and would have been extremely difficult to see in that full darkness,” the sheriff’s office stated in an official report.
