A pedestrian was killed earlier this morning after being struck on eastbound Interstate 20 just east of Interstate 35E in Dallas County, shutting down the left lane for hours during the morning commute. The fatality crash was first reported around 6:15 a.m., according to a traffic alert posted to social media.
The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office said it was working the fatality crash and confirmed the incident involved a pedestrian struck on the freeway, according to a post from the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department on Facebook. The left lane of eastbound I-20 remained blocked as deputies worked the scene, snarling traffic for drivers heading into the city during the early rush.
Real-time traffic camera data from the Texas Department of Transportation showed backups building at both the IH20-IH35E S.W. 2 camera and the IH20-Houston School Rd camera on Friday morning, reflecting the ripple effect the lane closure had across that stretch of the corridor. It remains unknown why the pedestrian was on the interstate’s main lanes at the time of the crash — whether due to a disabled vehicle, a crossing attempt, or another reason — and that detail has not been disclosed.
A Freeway With a History of Danger for People on Foot
Interstate 20 in southern Dallas County near the I-35E interchange is one of the busiest freight and commuter corridors in North Texas, and it has seen a string of pedestrian deaths in recent months. In March, a driver was arrested in an intoxication manslaughter case after a pedestrian was killed on I-20 in Dallas, and in July, a hit-and-run suspect fled the scene after fatally striking someone who was changing a tire along the same interstate. Just days after that, a fatal wrong-way crash near Hutchins claimed a driver’s life on I-20’s southern Dallas County stretch…