Every few days, we have articles about adults and children wandering onto area roads and highways. This is a case of a person who, according to police, was following Ohio state law when it came to walking along a highway.
ORC 4511.50(B) states, “Where a sidewalk is not available, any pedestrian walking along and upon a highway shall walk only on a shoulder, as far as practicable from the edge of the roadway.”
In this tragic incident, a pedestrian was struck and killed on US-52 near State Route 93 in Ironton, Ohio. The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) reported that around 11:15 PM, a 2005 GMC Envoy driven by Clarence Felty hit Tamia S. Prater, 24, who was walking eastbound.
Prater was pronounced dead at the scene by the Lawrence County Coroner’s Office. Authorities have indicated that impairment is not believed to be a factor for the driver, Mr. Felty. Other factors, such as distracted driving, have not been ruled out. The crash remains under investigation, with assistance from the Ironton Fire Department and the Lawrence County Coroner’s Office.