An Alabama man died Tuesday after being struck by a Louisiana State Police vehicle that was involved in the search fir him on a stretch of U.S. 65 north of Tallulah.

David P. Watford, 47, of Cottonwood, Ala., was walking north, facing traffic in the southbound lane of U.S. 65, about 6 miles north of Tallulah when he was struck and killed by a state police Chevrolet Tahoe that had been searching for him after finding his abandoned tractor trailer rig about half an hour earlier, LSP spokesman Sgt. James Anderson said.

“The crash occurred in open farm country with no nearby lighting. A wide shoulder was available to walk upon. At the time of the crash, Watford was wearing blue jeans and a camouflage shirt,” Anderson said.

Watford was pronounced dead at the crash site by the Madison Parish Coroner’s office.

The trooper who struck Watford has not been identified, but he was wearing a seatbelt and unhurt in the crash, Anderson said.

Shortly after midnight Tuesday, the trooper found an 18-wheeler belonging to Watford parked in a lane on U.S. 65 and blocking traffic.

The truck was found to be abandoned for unknown reasons and a Louisiana State Trooper and Madison Parish Sheriff’s Deputies began to search for the driver to check on his welfare and to get the truck moved,” Anderson said.

Impairment is not suspected to be a factor and toxicology results are pending. A state police shift lieutenant is investigating the crash, Anderson said.

A majority of pedestrian fatalities — nearly 70 percent — occur at night, Anderson said. Pedestrians are encouraged to walk facing traffic along a sidewalk or highway shoulder when available, wear light colored clothing with reflective materials.

In 2015, Troop F has investigated 10 fatal crashes resulting in 10 deaths.