A 49-year-old truck driver from Los Gatos, Calif., was struck and killed instantly as he walked along a frontage road Saturday in Rogers by a driver who told police that he may have fallen asleep.

Rogers Police Chief Jeff Beahen said the accident occurred at 5:12 p.m. on Rogers Drive, which parallels Interstate 94 near the Cabela's sporting goods store. The California man had apparently made a purchase at a nearby store and was walking west on the shoulder, apparently to a truck stop.

A 20-year-old man was driving east and suddenly crossed the centerline and the westbound lane and struck the pedestrian.

Beahen said that the driver from Dayton, Minn., was arrested, booked and released, pending results of a toxicology test for controlled substances. Alcohol has been ruled out as a cause, he said.

The driver's identity has not been released because he has not been charged, Beahen said.

Rogers Drive was closed for several hours Saturday while authorities investigated the accident.

As of late Sunday, the victim's identity also was being withheld, Beahen said, because his next-of-kin have not been located in California. Police will continue to investigate the cause of the accident, but Beahen also requested the public's assistance.

"We have witnesses who came upon the scene afterward, but if there's anybody who actually saw the accident take place, we'd love to hear from them," he said.

Tom Meersman