HENDRICKS COUNTY, Ind. — An investigation is underway after a pedestrian involved in a previous crash was hit and killed by a Hendricks County sheriff's deputy on Interstate 74 early Monday morning.
Around 1:30 a.m. Aug. 14, Brownsburg Police Department officers responded to a report of a pedestrian struck around the 69 mile marker, near Ronald Reagan Parkway.
An initial investigation found that a Toyota car was traveling west on I-74 when it left the south side of the road and crashed into the median cable barrier. The driver then exited the car and walked into the eastbound lanes of I-74 for unknown reasons before they were struck by an off-deputy with the Hendricks County Sheriff's Department traveling eastbound, the Brownsburg Police Department said.
The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene. The Hendricks County Coroner's Office, in conjunction with the Mexican Consulate in Indianapolis, identified the pedestrian as 21-year-old Mateo Ruiz-Gomez, who lived in Mexico. However, Brownsburg police said Ruiz-Gomez lived in Indianapolis.
"Impairment is not believed to be a factor regarding vehicle operation by the Deputy Sheriff," Brownsburg police said in a statement. The deputy was transported to a local hospital for a voluntary blood draw.
The Brownsburg Police Department is continuing to investigate the crash.
Anyone with information on the crash is asked to contact the Brownsburg Police Department Investigations Division at 317-852-1109 Ext. 2123.
The eastbound lanes of I-74 were closed for several hours early Monday while police investigated the incident, and fully reopened around 6 a.m.