CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – A man was hit and killed by a semi-truck in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 24 on Sunday, Jan. 10, in Montgomery County. He had been riding on a Greyhound bus to Kansas City when he asked to be dropped off on the side of the interstate.
According to the preliminary wreck report from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the man was walking westbound on the eastbound side of I-24 at mile marker 15.6 when he was hit. This occurred at approximately 9 p.m.
He was identified by his family as Samuel Harris, 38, of Kansas City.
“A CMV (commercial motor vehicle) was traveling in lane 1 (left lane) and was unable to miss the pedestrian. The pedestrian was walking in the roadway for an unknown reason,” reads the THP report obtained by Clarksville Now.
The THP report said the man was traveling on a bus and wanted off for an unknown reason. He died at the scene.
No criminal charges are listed for the driver of the semi. The report states the driver was wearing a seatbelt and wasn’t injured.
“They came to my auntie’s house, and were like, ‘He was on the interstate, he had got hit,’ and they had to wait for the morgue to confirm the fingerprint, but they called yesterday to confirm,” said Dee Grady, Harris’ nephew, on Jan. 13.
Grady told Clarksville Now that Harris was on the way back to Kansas City.
Greyhound said they do let people off on the side of the interstate if the person insists.
“Our driver acted appropriately when dropping off the passenger at the passenger’s request,” a representative from Greyhound told Clarksville Now. “We also request that (passengers) wait until we reach the next stop, however, if they demand to be released, we comply.”
Grady said his mother reached out to Greyhound to find out why Harris asked to be let off, but as of Jan. 13, they had not received a response.
“He was cool, he was funny, a free spirit. He tried to live his life to the fullest,” Grady said of his uncle.