CENTRALIA — A Wednesday night truck versus pedestrian crash has resulted in the death of a 17-year-old Centralia male.

According to Centralia Police Chief Brian Atchison, around 8:50 p.m. Wednesday, his officers responded to the report of a traffic accident on Country Club Road involving a truck and pedestrian.

The pedestrian was transported to SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead of the injuries he sustained.

Police interviewed the pedestrian’s mother who witnessed the event. She told officer’s her son had tried running out in front of other vehicles while his she was holding him back from traffic. He then broke free from her and intentionally ran out in front of a vehicle driven by Richard D. Schafer.

Police determined Schafer had been drinking and after submitting to field sobriety testing and submitting to a breath alcohol test, he was charged with DUI.

During the course of the investigation, however, every indication was that the pedestrian intentionally ran out in front of the vehicle for reasons still to be determined.

The fact that Schafer was intoxicated above the legal limit was incidental, and not the primary factor in causing the accident.

Officers subsequently contacted Marion County State’s Attorney Bill Milner and after he was advised of the situation he advised CPD to charge Schafer with misdemeanor DUI as the DUI was not the proximate cause of the injuries sustained by the pedestrian.

Milner advised that if evidence surfaced which indicated that the driver’s impairment played a greater factor in the fatality, the charges could be amended at a later date.

Schafer then posted the required bond for misdemeanor DUI and was released with a court date.