A semitrailer truck struck and killed a Minneapolis man who had parked his car below an overpass and "either walked or ran" into the path of the rig late Wednesday morning on a busy highway in Bloomington, authorities said.

Danh C. Le, 45, was dead at the scene after being hit about 10:20 a.m. on northbound Hwy. 169 near Pioneer Trail, according to the State Patrol.

The car was parked on the right shoulder, and the semi came along and its trailer hit Le, the patrol said.

Two witnesses told the patrol that Le "either walked or ran into traffic" and was struck in the right lane, said Lt. Jason Bartell. However, the lieutenant added, "we don't want to speculate at this point" about whether Le intended to be run over.

One of those witnesses, Debra Halenbeck, of Belle Plaine, was driving immediately behind the semi. "I saw the guy stopped on the side of the road and standing behind the car by the trunk. He jumped under the semi" between the trailer's front and rear tires, she said. "He dove into that space and got spit out the back," she said.

Halenbeck pulled over, gave her account to the patrol and told the truck driver, " 'I saw what happened. I don't think it was your fault.' "

Northbound Hwy. 169 was closed late Wednesday morning while investigators examined the area after a Minneapolis man apparently walked into traffic.

The truck driver, Angelo L. Hughes, 42, of Minneapolis, was not hurt, the patrol said.

Authorities had northbound Hwy. 169 closed at Old Shakopee Road until shortly after noon as officers investigated the crash.

Paul Walsh