Ledes from the Land of Enchantment

Farmington man dies after being struck by several vehicles on Interstate 40

Authorities identified the man who was struck and killed on Interstate 40 near Winslow on Tuesday.

Bart Graves, spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Public Safety, said the investigating trooper believes Adam Michael Tackett, 39, from Farmington, New Mexico, was standing in the middle of the highway when he was struck by multiple vehicles. Graves said early indications were that he was killed after being struck.

Graves said none of the motorists who may have hit the man who remained on the scene, although several people who drove by reported seeing the body in the roadway. A tractor-trailer driver contacted DPS around 7:30 am to report they had struck something on the highway, Graves said.

A trooper sent to the scene discovered the truck had hit a person on the roadway, Graves said.

Tackett was identified with fingerprint technology.

A sleeping bag and other personal belongings were found about 100 yards from where he was struck, according to Graves.

It is unclear why Tackett was on the highway, Graves said.

An Arizona Department of Transportation crew said there was a hitchhiker in the area about four hours before DPS got the call about the body, according to Graves. The hitchhiker was wearing dark clothing, but it hasn’t been confirmed if it was Tackett.

The interstate was closed for nearly four hours following the collision before reopening.

Reach breaking news reporter Julie Luchetta at [email protected].

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