Pedestrian struck and killed while walking along side of 215 Freeway in Riverside

A man was fatally hit while walking along the 215 Freeway in Riverside on Sunday. 

According to California Highway Patrol, the incident occurred just before 2:30 a.m. just north of Blaine Street. 

The man was reportedly barefoot as he walked in the same direction as traffic when he was struck by a silver Mercedes-Benz. The driver stayed on scene to cooperate with authorities. 

He was pronounced dead at the scene. 

As a result, CHP officers issued a Sigalert for the area at around 2:55 a.m., causing an hours long closure for all southbound lanes. 

It was unclear why the man was walking along the side of the freeway.