A former Chaminade-Julienne Catholic High School athlete was fatally struck by a pickup truck while walking along a highway in Biloxi, Miss. on Sunday morning.
Kamal Shafeek, 22, of Dayton was walking along Mississippi 67 when a man driving a red Nissan Titan hit him at about 3:15 a.m., according to investigators with the Biloxi Police Department.
"It's in the middle of nowhere," Sgt. John Doucet said in an interview, referring to the stretch of road.
Robert Brace, 36, of Biloxi, was driving the truck and told police he was on his way to work when the accident happened.
"He thought he'd hit a deer," Doucet said, estimating that Brace couldn't see Shafeek because he was wearing black clothing and that stretch of highway has little lighting.
"He showed no signs of impairment," Doucet said. According to Doucet, Bruce was driving under the speed limit when the crash happened. Shafeek's body was found approximately 190 feet from the point of impact.
Police connected Shafeek to Dayton by his cell phone, which they say they found at the scene of the accident. Doucet said Shafeek's half-brother identified his body by photographs.
Shafeek was a 2009 graduate of Chaminade-Julienne Catholic High School, where he was a member of the track team.
School officials described him as a "very bright student and very personable to everyone who knew him," Athletic Director Scott Pierce said in a statement. "He got along with everyone."
Shafeek was in Mississippi as a member of the United States Air Force's 81st Training Wing. A spokesperson for Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi confirmed that he was a former airman stationed there until his discharge on Nov. 7.
Investigators said Shafeek was last seen at a party between 2:30 a.m. and 3 a.m. Sunday. Doucet said other people at the party told them he had been drinking "a little bit."
Shafeek's family could not be reached for comment. Funeral arrangements are pending.