ST. GEORGE, UTAH – August, 19, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) – Utah Highway Patrol has been able to identify a man found lying in the middle of I-15 with serious head trauma in St. George Tuesday afternoon.
According to information received during an investigation into who the man was, Edgar Perez-Bartlol, 39, from Northfield, MN., was having mental health issues as he was travelling with another male, Arturo Gomez-Reyes, 37, also from Northfield, MN., and two minor boys ages 10 and 13, from Minnesota to California, when he opened the passenger side door and landed in the middle of I-15 near St. George.
When troopers arrived they found Perez-Bartol lying in the right travel lane with severe head trauma. Traffic had stopped and citizens were attending to the victim until medical units arrived.
Troopers said they found that the victim, who had not been struck by any other vehicles, had fallen from a light-blue Minivan driven by a Hispanic male. Witnesses told troopers the victim’s front passenger door opened and it appears the victim may have lunged from the minivan. The driver of the minivan stopped briefly on the left side of the freeway, but then quickly left the scene.
The 2005 Dodge van was later found in California and the driver returned to St. George to speak with investigators and explain the incident.
The investigation is still ongoing and Gomez-Reyes is fully cooperating with investigators.
Potential criminal charges will be screened by the prosecutors office.
