A man got out of a moving SUV with his wife behind the wheel along a major highway in Rochester after dark and died from the impact on the road, authorities said Thursday.
The incident occurred about 9:50 p.m. Wednesday on northbound Hwy. 52 in the southwestern section of the city, according to the State Patrol.
The patrol identified the man as David K. Valdez, 27, of Rochester, and his wife as Erika Valdez, 26.
"We're really not sure" why Valdez got out of a moving vehicle, said Patrol Sgt. Troy Christianson. "That's what we need to get at."
Christianson said investigators are also trying to determine how fast the SUV was traveling when Valdez got out and "did a bunch of rolls" on the pavement. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.
The sergeant said the SUV did not strike the husband.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
