By HOLLY GASKILL
A fatal pedestrian accident took the life of a Bluffton resident early Friday morning.
An accident report from the Bluffton Police Department states Clarence Cottrell Jr., 91, was struck by a 2008 GMC Sierra pick-up truck in the crosswalk at the intersection of Main and Washington streets at approximately 7:38 a.m. Cottrell was unresponsive at the scene with “obvious trauma,” the report states.
The driver, Matthew P. Davis, 36, Bluffton, reported he had stopped at a red light on Washington Street and proceeded left when it turned green. Davis said he had not seen a pedestrian but heard the collision, backed slightly, and exited the vehicle, where he saw Cottrell.
Multiple witnesses confirmed this series of events. Video footage from three nearby locations also showed Cottrell entering the crosswalk, reacting to the oncoming vehicle, and being thrown backward by the collision. Cottrell was partially pinned under the truck before it backed several feet away.
Witnesses and emergency responders rushed to aid Cottrell, who the report states was taken for immediate medical attention.
The investigating officer observed a low rising sun in line with Washington Street and the crosswalk, noting it made it difficult to see eastward.
The crash investigation is ongoing, pending a coroner’s report and state toxicology reports.
holly@news-banner.com
