An adult male pedestrian was hit and killed by a Metro Transit bus in downtown Minneapolis on Wednesday afternoon. The collision occurred about 3:45 p.m. at 2nd Street and 3rd Avenue S.

The eastbound bus was turning north onto 3rd Avenue off 2nd Street when the collision occurred, said Howie Padilla, spokesman for Metro Transit. A preliminary investigation shows that there were no passengers on the bus at the time of the crash, Padilla said.

Emergency crews removed the body, and a blue tarp covered the left rear section of the bus about 4:30 p.m. It was eventually hosed off by emergency workers.

Further details about the accident are so far undisclosed. It remains unclear whether the pedestrian was inside the crosswalk when he was struck.

The driver is to be placed on leave pending an investigation and tested for substances, per Metro Transit protocol.

The victim will be identified by the Hennepin County medical examiner's office after his family has been notified. Padilla believes this is the first pedestrian fatality involving a bus in 2015.

Patrons of a nearby Dunn Bros Coffee shop said they did not witness the collision.

LIZ SAWYER