Man Hit and Killed on Bypass Highway Was in Middle of Road

Authorities have released the identity of a man struck and killed by a driver while standing in the middle of the Bypass Highway (240) near Richland early Sunday morning.

State Patrol troopers were called to the scene around 6:15am Sunday morning, and found a man had been hit. The accident occurred in the eastbound center lane, not far from the Van Giesen intersection. WSP troopers say the man, 28-year-old Leo Gerhard, was standing in the middle of the road when he was hit by a Hanford worker headed home from the area.

The driver stopped and pulled Gerhard to the shoulder so he wouldn't be hit by other vehicles, and called 911, but Gerhard was pronounced dead at the scene.

WSP troopers said drugs or alcohol were not involved with the driver who was fully cooperative. Richland police say they contacted Gerhard the night before about a separate incident in the Uptown Shopping area of town.  Police didn't say what the incident was about.

So far, sources say, no charges pending for the driver.