Christmas Day Accident: Person Stuck and Killed on I-70

State Police say the investigation will center on why the person was walking on the highway in the first place.

Source: Emergency vehicle lighting atop a police car with a cityscape in the background of Indianapolis.

CLAY COUNTY, IND – State Police say a person was struck and killed walking on Interstate 70 westbound near the 22-mile marker on Christmas night. State Police from the Putnamville Post and the Clay County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene.

Police say the person had been walking in the passing lane of the highway before they were hit. The vehicle’s driver promptly pulled over and contacted 911, cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation. State Police say the investigation will center on why the person was walking on the highway in the first place.

“Preliminary information shows that there was no disabled vehicle on Interstate 70 at that time [of the accident],” said Sgt. Matt Ames. “Our troopers are still trying to find out where the person came from and, of course, identify the individual involved in this incident.”

The Clay County Coroner’s Office will disclose the person’s identity following identification and family notification.

Ames says that hitting a person on the road can be a traumatic experience for the person in the vehicle.

“As you’re traveling down Interstate 70, you are just trying to get from point A to point B,” Ames said. “In the middle of the road, you have a person that gets struck; that is a very traumatic event for the driver and anybody in the vehicle with them.”

Several agencies assisted in handling the incident, including troopers from the Putnamville State Police Post, the Clay County Sheriff’s Department, the Jackson Township Volunteer Fire Department, the Posey Volunteer Fire Department, and the Clay County Coroner’s Office.