Update to Fatal Portage Pedestrian Accident
On Wednesday, November 13th, 2024 at approximately 5:37 PM officers of the Portage Police Department responded to the intersection of US Highway 20 and Samuelson Road in reference to a report that a pedestrian was struck by a motor vehicle, according to a Portage press release.
The initial investigation shows that a pedestrian was walking northbound just west of the intersection when he was struck by a westbound sports utility vehicle. This initial impact threw the victim into the eastbound lanes where he was struck by two eastbound vehicles, police stated. Contrary to social media posts all of the involved drivers reported the incident to law enforcement and cooperated with investigators.
There is no indication that any of the involved motorists were under the influence of alcohol or drugs. At the time of the crash, it was dark, visibility was low due to rainfall, and the victim was wearing all dark clothing. Police do not believe any of the drivers will face criminal charges related to this accident.
US Highway 20 was closed to all traffic between Samuelson Road and Jensen Drive until 8:50 PM while the department’s Crash Reconstruction Team conducted their investigation.
The deceased is a sixty-five year old resident of Portage. His toxicology report is pending. The deceased’s identification is still being withheld while the Coroner’s Office attempts to locate next of kin.
