‘Still family’: Loved ones mourn homeless man hit, killed by truck in Las Vegas

The coroner’s office has identified 35-year-old Jon Silk as the pedestrian who was struck and killed by a truck late last month.

His sister, Lisa Hurtt, said he was just two days away from his 36th birthday.

The Metropolitan Police Department said the crash occurred near the intersection of Nellis Boulevard and Sahara Avenue on Nov. 23. Silk, according to police, “appeared to be homeless” and was crossing the street outside of the marked crosswalk. The driver, who was 20 years old and drove a Chevrolet Avalanche, hit Silk, throwing him into the roadway, according to police.

Silk was taken to the hospital, where he died from his injuries Metro said.

Hurtt, 39, described Silk as outgoing and “well-loved.”

“Jon had the biggest personality. He lit up the room, but he got caught up with friends who experimented with drugs and lost his way,” Hurtt said.

The sister, who started a GoFundMe to raise money for Silk’s burial expenses, said that, despite Silk’s mistakes, he was “still family.” She said his death was unexpected and has put a strain on her family’s finances.

Hurtt said that her father and her sister recently learned it would cost hundreds of dollars just to view Silk’s body.

“Jon’s story deserves to be told,” Hurt added. “Because he was homeless, it seems like this is getting swept under the rug.”

Intersection ‘dangerous and troublesome’

Although police said that the driver who hit Silk stayed at the scene and showed no signs of impairment afterward, Hurt wondered if distraction or speed might have contributed to the crash.

“Even though that person was not impaired, it does not mean he was not distracted,” Hurt said.

She also said the East Las Vegas intersection where the crash took place is “dangerous and troublesome.” She expressed frustration over a nearby pedestrian bridge being inaccessible — closed due to homeless encampments that had appeared on the overpass.

“My family went to view the memorial where Jon died, and they saw other people struggling to cross the street because of various hazards,” Hurtt said. Before her brother’s death, Hurtt added, she and her siblings would regularly bring him warm clothes and meals, trying to convince him to come home.

But, Hurtt said, “he would not spend more than a day inside four walls.”

She hoped that the pedestrian bridge would reopen soon to help prevent another tragedy like her brother’s and urged police to patrol the overpass more often to keep it maintained and safe.

Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.