14 February 2023
SHAWNEE COUNTY (KSNT) – A man who has become notable for walking with a blanket along Northeast Kansas highways was arrested following numerous complaints, law enforcement said.
Deputies arrested Nathaniel Simmons, 40, last week for posing a “serious traffic hazard to motorists,” according to Abigail Christian, a spokeswoman for the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office. The arrest was made following numerous 911 calls from local residents who saw Simmons walking in the road.
Christian said that before this recent arrest, Simmons had been ticketed twice by deputies in Shawnee County for unlawful pedestrian use of the road. Several callers told the sheriff’s office they almost hit Simmons in the road as they did not see him or were forced to swerve into oncoming traffic to avoid hitting him.
Other law enforcement agencies in Northeast Kansas reported similar activity. In December, the Silver Lake Police Department posted to their social media explaining to residents that the man refused offers of assistance and is entitled to walk on the highway as long as he remains outside of the white fog line. Similarly, the Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office said that the man may have autism and has refused any help offered by law enforcement.
Simmons was released from jail on bond following last week’s arrest, a spokesman at the jail said.
Northeast Kansas residents have formed a Facebook group centered on sightings of the man.