Mass. Truck Driver Killed In Hit-And-Run On I-95; Alcohol May Be A Factor
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A trucker is killed by a hit and run driver as he stands next to his vehicle on I-95. It is a painful remember how dangerous the shoulder of the road can be.
Meghan McCorkell has more on the investigation.
Investigators have identified that trucker as 57-year-old Jeffrey Anderson of Massachusetts. They say the driver that hit him never even stopped.
Tragedy on the shoulder of I-95. The driver of a tractor trailer--outside his vehicle as its being repaired--when investigators say a drunk driver slammed right into him and his truck.
"Two lanes get by on the left-hand side while MTA police investigate this," Captain Jeff Long reported.
The car that hit him took off. In minutes, police caught up with the driver, 45-year-old Peggy Turner, three miles up the road.
Investigators believe she'd been drinking.
"The vehicle did have significant damage that was consistent with a pedestrian collision," said 1st Sgt. Jonathan Green, Maryland Transit Police.
This isn't the first roadside tragedy this year.
This March, 62-year-old Judith Hill was killed by a hit and run driver, just steps from her car along 695 near the Edmondson Road exit. The driver of that car--never found.
"You don't even call the cops or an ambulance? What if she was still alive? That just breaks my heart that someone would do that," said Isaac Hill, victim's son.
In 2011, a Baltimore City police officer fell 25 feet off the JFX after she was hit by a car during a traffic stop.
Drivers WJZ spoke with say they fear getting stuck on the side of a busy road.
"It's dangerous. Lot of cars coming at full speed," said Faheem Kazmi, driver.
"You have all them big trucks just flying by you. You have people that don't really watch. They keep their cell phones in their faces," said Jerry Marcum, driver.
Police say the best thing to do is stay in your car and call for help.
Peggy Turner--the driver in Thursday's accident--is expected to be charged, pending an investigation According to court records, she has faced DUI charges twice before.
Maryland drivers that do become stranded on the side of the road can always call #77 to reach the nearest police or fire station for help.
