A 43-year-old Palmetto man was struck and killed early Tuesday on U.S. 41 in Manatee County, authorities said, after a southbound SUV hit him along the edge of the roadway near Scale Avenue.
The crash happened around 1:20 a.m., according to investigators. Troopers said the man was walking on the west shoulder, close to the white edge line, when the front-right side of a southbound vehicle hit him. Emergency crews responded to the scene and pronounced him dead there.
According to Tampa Bay 28, the Florida Highway Patrol identified the driver as a 27-year-old Sarasota woman who was heading south in the right lane in a 2008 Cadillac Escalade when the vehicle struck the pedestrian. Troopers said they were processing the scene and continuing to investigate the circumstances of the crash.
US 41 Already on Safety Watch List
U.S. 41, the Tamiami Trail through Bradenton and Palmetto, has been on local safety planners’ radar for years because heavy traffic and limited crossing points make it a rough walk for anyone on foot. Manatee County’s Manatee County Traffic Road Safety Program Action Plan identifies segments of U.S. 41 as part of the county’s high‑injury network, and the state crash dashboard highlights Florida’s high pedestrian fatality numbers in recent years…