Medical examiner identifies pedestrian who died after being struck by car on 29th Avenue

An 80-year-old man died Friday evening after he was hit by a car while crossing 29th Avenue near his apartment on the South Hill.

Spokane police said a pedestrian died at a hospital shortly after he was struck by an eastbound vehicle at about 4 p.m. Friday in a crosswalk in the 2600 block of 29th Avenue. On Tuesday, the medical examiner’s office identified the pedestrian as Gary Theodore Williams.

Williams was struck just outside his apartment in the Lincoln Heights Garden Terrace complex, which houses people 55 and older. The complex sits between several shopping centers that attract heavy traffic to that portion of 29th Avenue. A next-door neighbor said Williams had lived there by himself for several years.

Police said the driver was cooperating with investigators, and neither drugs nor alcohol appear to have been factors in the crash. A police news release also urged drivers to use extra caution in winter conditions and urged pedestrians to wear bright colors or reflective clothing.

Officer John O’Brien, a police spokesman, said Tuesday the investigation remained open and the driver had not been cited or charged in connection with the incident.