Truck’s side mirror likely killed Whatcom County pedestrian in hit and run, autopsy shows

A Whatcom County man likely died when a truck’s passenger side mirror struck his head as he walked along a rural road south of Blaine, an autopsy revealed Tuesday morning.

Authorities believe Joshua Karl Reynolds, 33, was walking east in the 3900 block of Birch Bay-Lynden Road when he was struck by a part of a passing truck.

The evidence suggests Reynolds was struck in the head by a passenger side mirror while he walked east along the westbound side of the road, about 2 ½ miles east of Birch Bay, said Dr. Gary Goldfogel, the Whatcom County medical examiner. The severity of his injuries indicated he was knocked unconscious on impact.

A passerby found the body in a deep ditch around 7:40 a.m. Monday, off the westbound side of the road. Reynolds’ body could have been in the ditch for days before he was discovered, Goldfogel said. Detectives with the Washington State Patrol are still trying to figure out when he was last seen alive.

Court records show in recent years he lived about 4 miles southwest of the crash scene.

Washington State Patrol investigators haven’t been able to find the truck or driver. The truck was probably headed west, away from Interstate 5, while Reynolds was probably facing the truck when he was hit, Goldfogel said. The time of the collision remains unclear.

Several pieces of debris from a truck were recovered from the scene. State troopers were working Tuesday to determine the make and model of the vehicle, and declined to release details about what exactly they recovered.

Tips can be directed to Detective Dan Comnick at 360-654-1200. Or call 911.

This story was originally published May 16, 2017 at 11:19 AM with the headline "Truck’s side mirror likely killed Whatcom County pedestrian in hit and run, autopsy shows."