Massachusetts State Police are investigating why a Boston man was in the roadway Saturday night when he was fatally struck by a pickup truck on Route 3 in Billerica.
Officials identified the victim Sunday as Joseph Francois, 43, of Boston's Hyde Park neighborhood.
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According to a preliminary investigation, a 50-year-old woman from Lowell was driving a Chevy Equinox on Route 3 northbound when she pulled over into the breakdown lane just before Exit 78. Her passenger, Francois, got out of the SUV and went into the roadway where he was struck by a Ford F-150.
It's not clear at this time why Francois was outside of the SUV, state police said.
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The driver of the pickup truck, identified by police as a 25-year-old Billerica man, stayed at the scene after the crash. No charges have been filed.
All traffic lanes were closed to accommodate the on-scene investigation, which lasted around two hours, according to transportation officials. Traffic used the high speed breakdown lane until 10:20 p.m. when all lanes were reopened.
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The facts and circumstances of the crash, including why Francois got out of the Chevy Equinox, remain under investigation.
