The man killed in a traffic collision while walking on Sierra Highway earlier this month has been identified, but the name is being withheld pending next-of-kin notification 11 days after he was reported dead, according to officials.
“Because the next-of-kin notification is still pending, there is limited information that can be provided,” reads an email from Kelly Vail, spokeswoman for the L.A. County Department of Medical Examiner. “The decedent is a Hispanic/Latin male in his 20s.”
Vail added that there is no typical timeframe for notifying next of kin as it depends on circumstances, such as readily available contact information and where the family lives.
It does typically take longer to notify next of kin for people who are pronounced dead at a hospital, as this man was, Vail said, as the transporting of the body needs to be coordinated with the hospital.
On Sept. 15 at approximately 8:49 p.m., California Highway Patrol personnel responded to a collision involving a pedestrian on the southbound side of Sierra Highway, south of Quinn Drive, according to the CHP report of the incident.
The report states that a gray 2015 Toyota Tacoma was driving southbound in the No. 2 lane of Sierra Highway when an unidentified Hispanic male was walking in the opposite direction of traffic and struck by the front of the truck. The pedestrian was transported to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
It is unknown why the man was walking in the street, the report states.
The driver of the truck, an 18-year-old Santa Clarita man, was reported to not have sustained any injuries and was not arrested at the scene, according to the CHP report.
Alcohol and drugs were not suspected to be a contributing factor, the report states.
The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information can contact the CHP Newhall-area office at 661-600-1600.
