The driver of an 18-wheeler hit and killed an unidentified St. Tammany Parish man Thursday evening who was standing in the right lane of Interstate 10 near Slidell, State Police said.

The victim, whose identity is being withheld pending notification of family members in Bay St. Louis, Miss., was transported to Northshore Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, spokesman Joseph Piglia said.

Jerry Spruill, of Florence, Miss., was driving the 2007 International tractor-trailer westbound between Eden Isles and Oak Harbor when he saw the man shortly after 8 p.m. standing in oncoming traffic. Spruill attempted to slow and swerve to the left but was unable to move because other cars were traveling in the lane next to him, Piglia said. Spruill "was perfect ... He was exactly where he was supposed to be. There was really no violation at all. The only thing he is a victim of is this man in the road," Piglia said.

Spruill, who was wearing a seatbelt at the time, submitted to an alcohol test that registered his blood alcohol content at .000, Piglia said.

"He was not drinking," Piglia said.

It's unknown as of press time if the pedestrian was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. A toxicology test is pending.

By press time Friday it was also unclear what the victim was doing on the roadway. When asked if the victim was a motorist who had broken down, Piglia said "no."

That stretch of interstate near Slidell and most all others statewide are considered "controlled access roadways," many lined by fences, which makes it illegal for pedestrians to hitchhike or walk on the shoulder, Piglia said.

It was unclear how traffic patterns were affected Thursday evening. Piglia said in similar situations, investigators close the interstate, take photos and mark evidence, then reopen as quickly as possible for commuters. Investigators then typically return in the middle of the night, when traffic is slow, to perform an accident reconstruction, he said.

The death is thought to be the first time in recent memory a pedestrian was hit and killed on the I-10 stretch through Slidell.