Hit and run is suspected after a man was found lying dead on a rural road just west of Santa Maria early Saturday, according to the Santa Maria Police Department.

Police officers and medical personnel were dispatched just after midnight to the 600 block of Black Road on a report of a possible person in the roadway, said Sgt. Shane Armstrong.

“Upon arrival, officers located a deceased male in the northbound lane of Black Road,” Armstrong said. “Evidence at the scene indicated the individual had been struck by a vehicle.”

The victim was believed to be a man in his 50s, and officers were still working to positively identify him and notify next of kin, Armstrong said.

The involved vehicle was not located, Armstrong said, and the incident was being investigated as a hit-and-run traffic collision.

The suspect vehicle was described as a white sedan with major front-end and windshield damage.

Anyone who locates a vehicle matching that description, or who may have witnessed the collision, is asked to contact police dispatchers at 805.928.3781, ext. 2277.