Man dies in South Hill crash after apparently running out of gas

A man died after he was struck by a car while outside his vehicle Saturday night on Spokane’s South Hill.

Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies responded at about 8:55 p.m. to the crash on South Glenrose Road, south of Carnahan Road, according to a sheriff’s office news release.

When deputies arrived, firefighters and American Medical Response crew were providing medical aid to the injured man. A Dodge Durango was partially over a slight embankment, and a Dodge Caravan was parked in the road without its lights on, deputies said.

A man told law enforcement he was driving the Durango north on Glenrose Road, the release said. The driver said he noticed a vehicle driving south flashing its headlights at him.

He suddenly noticed a Caravan stopped in the northbound lane of Glenrose without any lights on. He hit the brakes, slid because of the icy conditions, swerved to try and avoid hitting the van and went off the road into a ditch, the release said. He said he later learned the driver of the Caravan, wearing all dark clothing, was standing behind his vehicle.

The driver of the Caravan was taken to the hospital and died.

A person who stopped next to the Caravan told the sheriff’s office the driver of the Caravan was having mechanical issues and his lights, including the hazard lights, were not working.

The witness said he noticed the Durango approaching the Caravan, so he flashed his lights to warn him of the Caravan. The Durango started to brake, slid and went off the road, hitting the driver and the Caravan, he told the sheriff’s office.

A second witness said she had stopped to check on the driver of the Caravan before the crash and asked if he needed help. She was told he needed gas, so she went to get some for him.

The driver of the Durango was cooperative with investigators, the sheriff’s office said. Impairment was not believed to be a factor in the crash.

The sheriff’s office is investigating.