A man walking in a dark area on Opera Drive north of ·è¿ÍÖ±²¥ Fe was fatally struck Wednesday evening in what authorities say was a tragic accident.
“We believe his car broke down,†·è¿ÍÖ±²¥ Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Denise Womack-Avila said, adding deputies later found the man’s vehicle on U.S. 84/285 with the hazard lights on.
The man, who was in his mid-40s, was in the middle of the roadway when a driver traveling northbound struck him, she said. There were no lights in the area, and the man was wearing dark clothing, Womack-Avila said. “He wasn’t seen, basically. Until it was too late.â€
The first call about the crash came in at 5:36 p.m. Wednesday, she said, and a deputy arrived three minutes later. She described the incident as tragic, noting neither drugs nor alcohol was suspected to be a factor in the crash, and the driver, who was not cited in the incident, was not speeding on Opera Drive.
The sheriff’s office has identified the victim but has not yet notified his next of kin, Womack-Avila said, so she did not publicly release his name.
She was uncertain where the man was from. ·è¿ÍÖ±²¥ Fe police Lt. Heinz DeLuca said a pedestrian also was struck Wednesday in the city, but fled from the scene.
DeLuca wrote in a text message he had received notification that a driver running from the scene of a traffic crash near the intersection of Siler and Cerrillos roads had been struck as he ran across the street. “After the vehicle struck him, the pedestrian got up, said he was OK and continued running away,†DeLuca wrote. “Responding officers were unable to locate him.â€
