Leanna McInnish Killed in Pedestrian Accident off I-40 in Potter County, TX
Potter County, TX — June 23, 2022, 51-year-old pedestrian Leanna McInnish was struck and killed by a vehicle on the I-40 frontage road in Potter County.
According to reports the incident happened around 10:40 p.m. on the frontage road, roughly 2.5 miles west of Amarillo. Preliminary investigation suggests McInnish was walking on the edge of the road when a Chevy Suburban approached. Reports say the driver didn't see McInnish before hitting her.
McInnish was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation continues. No further information is available at this time.
Commentary on Leanna McInnish Accident off I-40 in Potter County
Pedestrian accidents are often more complex than they seem. People may read about someone walking along a dark stretch of freeway and assume there's little else to say, but just about any accident--including those with pedestrians--is more nuanced than that.
For instance, in a collision like the one above the law considers all its variables to determine how avoidable it was (or should have been). To find that out there are still questions to resolve: Why was the pedestrian in the road late at night? News reports say she was "on the edge of the road" but where precisely was she--in the travel lane, walking along the fog line, or on the shoulder? Where did she come from before walking there? How long was she in the area before the vehicle passed through? Were the truck's headlights on? Was the driver awake, alert, and paying careful attention to the road? Did other vehicles successfully avoid the victim before the truck came along? Could or should anything else have been done to avoid the crash or reduce its damage?
I'm not accusing anyone of wrongdoing here or saying I know more than police investigators. I'm just saying what I often do: Even if preliminary reports just say someone was in the road at a bad time, it's always best to carefully investigate all the possible factors in search of the whole truth. If there are other issues to consider, that will only be learned by finding all the details.
