Coroner IDs pedestrian killed in Fairview Heights
A second pedestrian has been struck by a car within three days in Fairview Heights. The first was hospitalized, but a 48-year-old man was found dead late Monday night on the roadway at Frank Scott Parkway and Arbor Meadows.
Michael B. Touchette of Belleville was fatally struck by a vehicle, according to St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr.
A news release from the Fairview Heights Police Department on Tuesday said the victim, later identified as Touchette, had multiple encounters with police in the hours prior to his death.
At about 7:41 p.m., a police officer issued him a warning for walking on a roadway. Then, around 8:52 p.m., he was identified as a suspect in a retail theft at a local business, the release said.
The store didn’t press charges and only requested that their stolen merchandise be returned, the release stated. Almost two hours later, at 10:17 p.m., Touchette was contacted a second time for walking on the road.
At 11:32 p.m., officers were dispatched to Frank Scott Parkway and Arbor Meadows, where they found Touchette lying unresponsive in the road, the release said. St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye said Touchette was pronounced dead at 11:50 p.m.
The driver of the vehicle cooperated with the police and showed no indication of being impaired or having broken any traffic laws, according to police.
The first pedestrian struck by a vehicle occurred on Saturday at the intersection of St. Clair Avenue and Third Avenue. The 33-year-old is currently hospitalized and remains in critical condition on Tuesday. His identity has not been released.
Touchette was charged with felony attempted stealing of a motor vehicle in St. Louis on Feb. 25, court documents show. Touchette was alleged to have tried to steal an ambulance, the documents stated. Also, he had a charge for retail theft in St. Clair County on July 3, court documents said.
This story was originally published July 8, 2025 at 11:37 AM.
