Walla Walla, WA – An 81year old Walla Walla man died Sunday morning after being struck by a vehicle while crossing Poplar Street near Providence St. Mary Medical Center.
Rojelio Rios, whose residence is in the 400 block of W. Alder, was struck and dragged while attempting to cross Poplar Street northbound at the intersection of 7th the marked crosswalk at the time of the accident.
Officers and Paramedics were dispatched to the scene at 9:00 a.m. and arrived less than two minutes later. Mr. Rios had succumbed to his injuries by the time they arrived.
The vehicle that struck Rios was a 1989 Ford, F250 pickup, driven by a 51 year old local man.
The driver was making a left hand turn eastbound onto Poplar from 7 Avenue. the driver’s ability to see Rios in the crosswalk was reduced due to the position of the sun at that time of day.
It is believed Poplar Street was closed to all traffic for about 3 hours while Collision Investigators worked the scene. No citations have been issued to the driver of the pickup at this time.