VICTORVILLE: (VVNG.com)- Howard Anthony Wedderburn, 39, of Las Vegas, was identified as the man killed Tuesday morning in a hit-and-run car accident on the southbound Interstate 15 Freeway between Nisqualli and Palmdale Road.
What was planned to be a short trip from their Las Vegas, Nevada home to visit family became a nightmare for the family of four. Anthony, his wife and two young children were on their way to visit his wife’s mother in the city of Perris. According to family member Johnny Bell, they heard a strange sound coming from the engine of their Range Rover, so Wedderburn decided to pull over to investigate what the sound was.
Wedderburn pulled the SUV over along the right shoulder of the southbound 15 freeway approximately ½ mile north of Nisqualli Road. Per CHP, he parked very close to the white line separating the shoulder from traffic lanes. After checking out the engine he started to walk back to the SUV and moments later he was struck by a tractor-trailer and was killed on impact.
Caltrans closed down the number 2 and 3 lanes for several hours in an effort to find evidence that may help police locate the hit-and-run driver. San Bernardino Sheriff’s issued a BOLO (Be On The Look Out) for the semi truck described as having a white trailer and the lettering “XTRA”. The semi according to witnesses, briefly stopped before continuing on the Nisqualli Road off ramp.
A short time later, following the deadly accident a tractor-trailer with the same description was stopped at the scales in Oak Hills. A CHP officer was there standing by the driver outside the truck.
As of Wednesday afternoon, it remained unclear if an arrest had been made and the exact cause of the fatal accidents is currently under investigation. The Victorville office of the California Highway Patrol and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is heading up an investigation into the crash. Any potential witnesses are urged to come forward.
