Officials with the L.A. County Medical Examiner have identified the man fatally hit by a semi-truck at the southbound Interstate 5, north of Highway 14 on Wednesday afternoon.
Julio Cesar Silva, 55, of Hacienda Heights, was identified as the pedestrian who was fatally hit on the right shoulder of the freeway.
Officer Carlos Burgos-Lopez, spokesman for the Newhall-area CHP office, said it appears Silva intentionally walked into the traffic lanes according to preliminary results of the investigation. He added they are still working on confirming all the details.
Silva was driving his vehicle before coming to a stop on the right shoulder, according to Burgos-Lopez.
The driver of the semi-truck is not considered a suspect due to the circumstances, he said.
Following the collision, CHP units requested Caltrans assistance with traffic while the on-scene investigation was being conducted diverting traffic away from the scene.
According to the CHP report, it is “unknown if alcohol and or drugs played a part in this incident. This crash is still under investigation.”
Burgos-Lopez said the agency is not releasing information about the driver of the semi-truck at this time. “We have to treat the driver as the victim in this case,” he said.
To find mental health resources, ways to support someone with a mental illness or to get involved, visit the “Be The Difference” website at http://www.bethedifferencescv.org or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BeTheDifferenceSCV
