Man dies after being hit by tractor-trailer while crossing southbound I-29

A man who reportedly had just bought a sandwich and cigarettes at a convenience store died early Monday when he was struck by a tractor-trailer as he crossed southbound Interstate 29 in Kansas City, North.

The incident occurred about 2 a.m. south of Northwest 64th Street on southbound I-29. The southbound lanes of I-29 were closed from 64th to Northwest 56th Street for several hours while authorities investigated the crash.

WDAF-TV reported that the man had bought cigarettes and a sandwich at a nearby convenience store. The man is believed to have climbed through a chain-link fence to cross over the highway and was struck.

The driver of the semi was questioned and released.

“This is our 32nd (traffic) fatality here in our city this year,” said Sgt. Kari Thompson, a spokeswoman for the Kansas City Police Department. “We are significantly higher than last year. It’s awful.”

This story was originally published May 8, 2017 at 6:44 AM with the headline "Man dies after being hit by tractor-trailer while crossing southbound I-29."