The SUV that hit a pedestrian on Middle Road in Gualo Rai Monday morning is about to be towed.
A 67-year-old man was killed in Gualo Rai on Middle Road after he was struck by a Toyota RAV4 on Monday morning.
It was the CNMI’s first traffic fatality of the year, according to the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services.
DPS said its 911 dispatch received a call at about 5:52 a.m. regarding an auto-pedestrian incident on the northbound lane of Middle Road near Paradise Dental Building.
Police said prior to the incident, the driver of a red Toyota SUV was traveling northbound on the inner lane of Middle Road. The driver said she observed a pedestrian walking eastward from the Kid’s Playground building toward the Lin’s Hardware building.
The 66-year-old driver said she then saw the pedestrian standing in the middle of the road so she switched to the outer lane but collided with the pedestrian, a resident of Gualo Rai.
He was transported to the Commonwealth Health Center emergency room and was later pronounced dead.
Dr. Matthew Nelson of CHC said the cause of death was blunt force trauma.
The case remains under investigation, DPS Public Information Officer Sgt. Fred Sato said.
DFEMS, for its part, said Medic-2 arrived at the scene at 5:55 a.m. and the responding medics quickly treated the patient as fast as they could so they could transport him to the hospital.
Sadly, “the patient did not make it,” DFEMS PIO Robert Mojica said, adding that the department wants to express its sincerest condolences to the family of the pedestrian.
A community member who requested anonymity said “the pedestrian crossing lane in the area needs to have solar-powered warning lights installed on both sides.”
“There should be sufficient lights for major roads,” another said.
