Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

Man fleeing police killed by big rig on freeway

092995Accident01

Steve Marcus

Metro Police investigate a fatal accident on U.S. 95 northbound near the Boulder Highway exit Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016. Police say a man sought for questioning was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer when he tried to run from police across the highway.

Updated Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016 | 3:08 p.m.

Click to enlarge photo

A Metro Police vehicle blocks an off-ramp after a fatal accident on U.S. 95 northbound near the Boulder Highway exit Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016.

A man sought for questioning in a shooting was hit and killed by a semitractor-trailer today when he tried to run across a Las Vegas freeway with officers in pursuit, Metro Police said.

The incident happened about 11:30 a.m. on U.S. 95 near Flamingo Road, Officer Larry Hadfield said.

The freeway was closed in both directions southeast of downtown Las Vegas and was expected to remain closed for several hours, Officer Michael Rodriguez said about 2:15 p.m.

The man, who was driving a vehicle, took off when detectives tried to stop him in the area of U.S. 95 and Flamingo, Capt. Shawn Andersen said. He got on northbound U.S. 95, exited on Boulder Highway and then got back on the freeway headed south before he lost control and hit a wall near Flamingo, Andersen said.

The man was hit by the truck as he tried to run across the northbound lanes of the freeway, Andersen said. He died at the scene.

Police officers, who were following from a distance, witnessed the incident, Rodriguez said.

The man, who hasn’t been identified, was a suspect in a Sept. 22 shooting at a mobile home park about 2 miles from where today’s chase happened.

Officers were investigating a shooting in the parking lot of the Miracle Mile Trailer Park that left a man critically wounded, Rodriguez said.

There wasn’t a warrant out for the man, but detectives had probable cause he was the shooter, Andersen said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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