An avid bicyclist riding on the shoulder of a rural central Minnesota highway was hit from behind and killed, authorities said.

The collision occurred about 6:20 p.m. Tuesday on County Road 2, just south of County Road 4 in St. Wendel Township, the Stearns County Sheriff's Office said.

The bicyclist was identified as John G. Seiler, 51, of Sartell, Minn. Seiler "is a pretty well known, avid cyclist in town," said Chief Sheriff's Deputy Bruce Bechtold.

"This poor guy was doing nothing wrong and got clipped," said Bechtold. "It could've happened to any one of us."

Bechtold added that Seiler was wearing a helmet and riding on a "very wide" shoulder when he was struck by the car, driven by Judy R. Post, 73, of Pasadena, Calif.

Post was passing through on her way to Michigan, Bechtold said. The chief deputy was not sure why her route brought her north to Minnesota.

Bechtold said there is no suspicion that Post had been drinking. He said investigators are "looking into some different angles," trying to determine why the car left its lane.

According to the Sheriff's Office:

Seiler was riding north on the east shoulder of County Road 2, just west of Sartell, when Post's northbound car drifted to the right and hit him.

The cyclist was thrown into the ditch. Rescue personnel tried to revive Seiler, but he was declared dead at the scene.

Paul Walsh