OSHP had received calls about man on U.S. 52

BURLINGTON — A pedestrian was hit and killed by a semi-truck on Monday morning.
According to a report from the Ironton post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, around 8:10 a.m., Eric J. Boothe, 33, of Bidwell, was walking along the westbound lane of U.S. 52 about a mile past the Lowe’s store in Burlington, when he was struck by a red 2003 Mack truck which was hauling logs. He was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Lawrence County Coroner’s Office.

Ironton post commander Lt. Nick Lunsford said they don’t know why the man from Bidwell, which is about an hour away from Burlington, was walking along U.S. 52.

“We don’t know exactly,” Lunsford said. “We have spoken with his mother, but we don’t really know why he was walking down this way.”

The OSHP is also looking at footage from a car camera of a man, presumed to be Boothe, who was seen walking in and out of U.S. 52 traffic around the time of the collision.

“Somebody found that video on Facebook from a dash cam and we had received a call about a man in traffic and a trooper was there just seconds after he got hit,” Lunsford said.

He added that samples were taken from Boothe and were sent off to a lab to be tested for intoxicants.

The truck was driven by Clair E. Martin, 76, from Gallipolis, who was not injured.

“We are still investigating to see what caused the pedestrian to be out in the roadway,” Lunsford said. “We have investigators talking to witnesses and family and trying to figure out what happened.”

The Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted on scene by Lawrence County E.M.S., Fayette Township Fire Department and the Lawrence County Coroner’s Office.

Next of kin has been notified.