Authorities have identified the pedestrian who was fatally injured when he was struck by a vehicle Sunday morning while walking on a highway.

Jeremie J. Mills, 46, of Kennewick, died at the scene of the crash, which occurred at about 11:30 a.m. on U.S. 395, according to the Washington State Patrol. He had been walking in the southbound lanes of the highway.

Authorities said Mills apparently walked in front of a semi-tractor trailer near Plaza Way and was struck. Officials from the Benton County Coroner’s Office said Mills died before he arrived at a hospital for treatment.

The Washington Department of Transportation said the southbound lanes of the U.S. highway were closed for about an hour.

It’s unclear why he stepped into southbound traffic, authorities said. The crash remains under investigation.

The driver, 48-year-old Eric S. Questad, of Kennewick, was not injured in the incident, according to the Washington State Patrol.

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