Jackson pedestrian hit by vehicle in critical condition

JACKSON (WNE) — A pedestrian struck by a vehicle last week remains in critical condition in an East Idaho hospital.

The driver, a Jackson resident who has not been identified, hit Jackson resident Francisco Rodriguez, 75, at 11:15 p.m. on June 19 when Rodriguez began crossing South Park Loop Road at the intersection with Highway 89.

A Teton County sheriff’s deputy witnessed the incident while at the Maverik gas station. A written statement from the deputy said Rodriguez was wearing dark clothing and did not have a walk sign when he began running across the intersection, according to Trooper Todd Baxter of the Wyoming Highway Patrol, who took the deputy’s statement during his investigation of the collision.

The driver was traveling through the intersection and didn’t see Rodriguez, who hit the front driver’s side panel and a mirror. Rodriguez sustained a serious head injury and remains in the intensive care unit at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, Baxter said.

According to Baxter, the driver did nothing wrong and was not cited.

“The guy is really shaken up,” Baxter said. “He certainly was not at fault.”

It appeared from Rodriguez’s belongings that he may have been in a rush.

“He was carrying a bag that had a meal in it,” Baxter said. “It looked like he was on his way home from work and he had his dinner and was in a hurry to get home.”

Baxter said that as far as he knows, this is the first collision involving a pedestrian on a highway in Teton County.

This story was published on June 25, 2024.