BUTTE - In what Butte Law Enforcement has described as a string of tragic events over the weekend beginning with a pedestrian who was killed at this spot by a hit-and-run driver, and now the person of interest in this incident is also deceased.
“Literally everyone out here’s broken up about this, and all of us aren’t surprised. Also, everyone has mentioned to each other several times how dangerous it is with the cars flying up and down this road,” said Corey Baker, who lives in the neighborhood.
A pedestrian, identified as 39-year-old Duncan Brass of Butte, was struck by a vehicle and killed at the intersection of Garfield and Locust about 12:30 in the morning on July 19th. Many people, like Corey Baker, who live in the area, witnessed the terrible aftermath of the accident.
“He was hit, and I know he flew about 60 feet when he got hit,” said Baker.
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Butte police reported finding the vehicle a day after the incident and spoke to a person of interest about the hit and run. That person died later that day in an apparent suicide. Butte Sheriff Ed Lester, who did not identify the person of interest, said that person was not in police custody at the time of death.
The incident remains under investigation.
Baker said many motorists speed down this section of Garfield Street, which lacks stop signs and adequate street lighting in the evenings.
“It’s horrific and it’s awful, because we’ve been telling the cops forever that people fly up and down this road, that if they just sit here, they would catch speeders and help this neighborhood be so much safer,” he said.
A make-shift memorial was set up on the side of the street where the pedestrian was killed.
“My wife’s been pretty broken up about it. She came down here with the mourners the other day and left some flowers,” said Baker.
