A driver of a tractor-trailer pulled over onto the east side of California Interstate 15, near Dale Evans Parkways in Apple Valley, and proceeded to walk onto the highway just before 1 pm on Friday.
Reasons Unknown
The driver who died was identified as Gregory Brown II, a truck driver based out of Las Vegas.
California Highway Patrol officials stated, “For reasons still under investigation, the driver … was outside of his vehicle and entered the No. 3 traffic lane on foot, directly into the path of (another tractor-trailer) and received fatal injuries.”
Ongoing Investigation
The driver of the second tractor trailer, Michael Brooks, 41, immediately pulled off the highway after striking Brown and called 911. The Daily Press reports that Brooks was sober at the time of the accident.
Missing Details
The investigation is ongoing.
Images from Google Earth show that around the location of the accident the highway only has three lanes. If Brown was parked on the shoulder and exited his truck he would already be very close to lane Number 3.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Move Over Law for California defines an emergency scene as an emergency, transportation maintenance, Caltrans, and/or towing and recovery vehicle. With Brown’s truck parked on the shoulder, California law would expect no vehicle to be traveling in lane No. 3.
Further, it has not been made clear how far into the lane Brown walked; however, there was no damage reported to his tractor-trailer which could indicate he was quite far onto the highway.