Auto-Pedestrian Fatality - Report #2023-02050121

Published on July 24, 2023

By Tim Ciesco

On Monday, July 24, 2023, at approximately 7:28 a.m., the Arlington Police Department responded to the area near I-20 and S. Cooper Street after a passerby reported seeing a man lying unresponsive in a grassy ditch between the service road and the westbound entrance ramp.

The man, who has not yet been identified, was pronounced deceased at the scene. Based on his location and his injuries, investigators believe he was struck by a vehicle.

Earlier in the morning, at approximately 12:41 a.m., the driver of a Ford Explorer reported that he thought he hit something as he was driving westbound along I-20 approaching Bowen Road. The driver pulled off the highway and into a parking lot along Bowen Road, then waited for officers to arrive. The driver told officers he wasn’t sure what he hit – only that he saw a flash and thought maybe it was a stray car part.

The SUV had some front-end damage. Officers searched the area at the time, but could not locate what he struck.

Investigators are now looking into the possibility that the man was hit by the Ford Explorer. The driver of the Explorer has been cooperative with the investigation and is not facing any criminal charges.

It’s unclear why the man would have been in the highway lanes. The investigation is ongoing.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office will release the name of the deceased once he has been identified and next of kin have been notified.

The Arlington Police Department would like to remind the public that pedestrians should NEVER enter highway lanes. Due to the speed vehicles are traveling and the distance they require to brake, attempting to cross a highway is extremely dangerous and can lead to a catastrophic collision. Pedestrians needing to get from one side of a highway to the other should use designated crossings and sidewalks along overpasses and underpasses.