Woman killed by semi truck

This tractor trailer hit and killed Pam Rankhorn when she stepped into its path on the bypass early Tuesday morning.

The victim, Pam Rankhorn, 45, of McMinnville, was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:40 a.m. She died from injuries she sustained when she was hit by the right front of a 2001 Freightliner. Her body was thrown several yards from the crash site onto the grassy bypass median.

According to Highway Patrol Sgt. Jeff Mosley, Rankhorn had been visiting with her sister at Arms Apartments, located about one-eighth of a mile from the scene.

?She told her sister she was going out to get some air,? Mosley said. ?The next thing she knew, the police were at her door.?

The truck driver, Ulysses Wright, 48, of Americas, Ga., whose ultimate destination was Smithville, said he never saw the woman step from the darkness of the rain-slicked highway into his path as he cleared the intersection of Old Smithville Highway and the bypass. A heavy storm had just passed minutes before. However, there was only a slight mist at the time of the crash.

Troopers believe Wright was traveling the posted 45 mph speed limit given his ability to stop within yards after impact despite the wet pavement. Investigators could find no witnesses.

?She stepped into the path of the oncoming truck for unknown reasons,? Mosley said, noting investigators will likely never know if she saw the truck coming before impact. ?The investigation is continuing, but right now we have found no proof of wrongdoing on the part of the truck driver.?