Woman Killed as She Walks across I-5

Ellaine Craig, 43 of Kent, Washington was killed on New Year’s Eve after walking into the middle of Interstate 5, near Gorman.

At about 8:55 p.m. Craig (who was 5’3” and about 160 pounds, according to law enforcement) pulled her car onto the west shoulder of the southbound Interstate 5 north of Gorman Road. She left her vehicle and began walking across the freeway.

A report released by the California Highway Patrol, said she “walked across all four southbound lanes and climbed over the center divider guardrail. Then, for an unknown reason, she walked across the fast lane, then into the number two lane of northbound 1-5, directly into the path of an unknown vehicle.”

CHP spokesman Robert Shuck said Tuesday that CHP is investigating whether it could have been a suicide. Initially it was reported that Craig was hit by an unknown vehicle which failed to stop and left the scene of the collision. The first report said she was then struck by an unknown number of other vehicles in the the number two lane. On Tuesday, CHP was investigating whether Craig may have lain down intentionally in the roadway.

“She sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene,” the official report said. The collision remains under investigation.

Anyone with further information is asked to contact Fort Tejon CHP at 661-248-6655.–PH

This is part of the January 07, 2011 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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