Cross Lanes collision victim well-known to local residents

CROSS LANES, W.Va. — An elderly man was struck and killed in the middle of a Kanawha County road early Monday morning.

Kanawha County deputies said Dennis Eugene Taylor, 86, of Cross Lanes, was on a motorized mobility scooter attempting to cross Goff Mountain Road in Cross Lanes at a little after 5 a.m. when he was struck by an southbound vehicle.

Taylor was pronounced dead a short time later at WVU Medicine Thomas Memorial Hospital.

Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Josh Lester said Taylor was well-known.

“He lived there in the area. He is out pretty often on his scooter and everyone says he’s typically safe but unfortunately this morning he was crossing the roadway and the crash happened in the roadway,” Lester said.

The driver of the car stopped immediately and cooperated with deputies. Right now no charges have been filed, Lester said.

“Crash investigators are going to be working on this, it’s still very early into it, but looking into all of the preliminary evidence there were no charges immediately filed against the driver,” Lester said.

It was still dark when the collision occurred near Cadle Drive and the Tudor’s/Gino’s restaurant. It would be difficult for a driver to see someone in the road, Lester said.

“Being in that type of scooter puts him (Taylor) really low to the ground so the damage to the car was really low. You can tell the visibility would still be hard,” Lester said.