Pedestrian warning of traffic hazard hit by truck

A 40-year-old man from Thermal died Saturday morning after being hit by a truck while officers said he was apparently trying to warn drivers of a traffic hazard on Harrison Street.

The Riverside County Coroner’s Office identified the man as Jose Luis Melendez.

A 60-year-old man from Thermal was driving a Ford F-150 northbound on Harrison Street, approaching 78th Avenue, when Melendez entered the road to alert drivers of downed power lines in the roadway, officers with the California Highway Patrol said.

The driver tried to swerve out of the way but lost control and ended up hitting Melendez. He died at the scene.

A tractor had hit a guide wire nearby, causing power lines to come down and igniting a quarter-acre brush fire that was contained about an hour later, according to the Imperial Irrigation District and the Riverside County Fire Department.

The California Highway Patrol continues to investigate the deadly collision. Alcohol and/or drugs didn’t appear to be a factor, according to CHP.