A 49-year-old man is dead after being struck by an eastbound truck while walking along Highway 401 near Newcastle Sunday morning.
According to Ontario Provincial Police, the man was driving along Highway 401 when he rolled his car into a ditch near Mill Street at around 6:30 a.m.
A passerby then stopped to provide assistance but when he picked up his phone to call police the man fled on foot, walking eastbound on Highway 401.
A short time later a truck driver reported striking a man nearby.
Police believe that man, who was pronounced dead on scene, was the driver in the earlier accident.
"We don't know if there were any injuries sustained in the initial collision. Maybe he was disoriented with where he was, but we may never know," Const. Dave Woodford told CP24. "We tell people all the time 'stay in your vehicle.'.It's no place for a pedestrian to be, walking along the highway."
The eastbound lanes of Highway 401 were closed between Clarington and Newcastle as police investigated, but the road fully reopened at around 12:30 p.m.
Remember for instant breaking news follow @cp24 on Twitter.
