An African American male, Albert Johnson, aged 62, was the victim of a fatal traffic incident that occurred on July 16, 2018, in the St. Louis suburb of Maplewood, Missouri. A well-known resident of the community, Johnson was attempting to cross South Big Bend Boulevard near Manchester Road around 2:00 p.m. when the incident took place. He was not in a marked crosswalk at the time. Witnesses and preliminary police investigations indicated that as he made his way across the busy thoroughfare, he appeared to stumble or lose his balance, falling into the side of a passing vehicle.
The vehicle involved was a large box truck traveling southbound on Big Bend Boulevard. Reports detailed that Johnson fell into the rear section of the truck, specifically near the wheel well. The impact resulted in fatal injuries, and he was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders. The driver of the truck, who was initially unaware that a pedestrian had been struck, continued driving away from the intersection.
Law enforcement officers from a neighboring agency located and stopped the box truck less than two miles south of the accident site. The driver was taken into custody for questioning by the Webster Groves police but was reportedly cooperative with authorities. Following the investigation, police stated that the driver did not realize the collision had occurred and did not anticipate filing charges for leaving the scene of an accident at that time.
Albert Johnson was remembered by his family and community as a man who strived for independence despite facing physical and mental health challenges. A fundraising campaign established for his funeral expenses described him as a beloved 'Maplewood character' who would be missed by locals. He was survived by a daughter, two granddaughters, and a great-grandson.
