Pedestrian killed crossing 215 Beltway identified

By Jean Reid Norman

Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009 | 9:59 a.m.

A man was killed Tuesday night while trying to cross the 215 Beltway a short distance from the Rainbow Boulevard overpass.

He has been identified as Michael Schook, 42, the Clark County Coroner’s Office said today.

Schook had crossed the westbound lanes of the highway about 8 p.m. and was about three-quarters of the way across the roadway when he was struck by multiple cars, Nevada Highway Patrol Sgt. Kevin Honea said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses said Schook appeared to be stumbling across the roadway, but it was unclear whether drugs or alcohol were involved, Honea said. That was being investigated, he said.

“We are trying to recreate the last 24 hours and try to figure out why he was out there and what his frame of mind was,” Honea said.

After receiving calls from motorists reporting a pedestrian on the westbound roadway, highway patrol troopers were on the scene looking for him in the westbound lanes, Honea said. Then calls started coming in that a pedestrian was on the eastbound lanes, and troopers shifted their search.

Before they could locate him, Schook had been hit by several vehicles, Honea said.

He was crossing only 200 to 300 yards west of the Rainbow Boulevard overpass.

“You start to wonder when you can look up and see the overpass with crosswalks,” Honea said.

Only one motorist remained on the scene to be interviewed, Honea said. He asked that any motorists who struck something in the road in that timeframe call the Highway Patrol at 432-5205 and talk to investigators.

“We’re just trying to piece it all together,” he said. “Nobody’s at fault. Pedestrians are not supposed to be on the freeway.”