A 66-year-old pedestrian died after he was struck by a vehicle on Highway 246 on the eastern edge of Lompoc early Wednesday morning.

The driver of a Ford F-150 told investigators he thought he had hit a pedestrian who had run out from the bushes along Highway 246 near Sweeney Road at approximately 5:30 a.m., according to California Highway Patrol emergency dispatch reports. 

The truck driver, Kevin Rounds, 35, of Lompoc was eastbound on Highway 246 when the vehicle struck the pedestrian, who was wearing dark clothing while walking partially in the eastbound lane of the highway, CHP Officer Cliff Powers said.

“Mr. Rounds was unable to see the pedestrian and the right side of his pickup struck the pedestrian as it passed by him,” Powers said in his report.

The Lompoc man, whose name is being withheld until his family members are notified, was pronounced dead at the scene east of Sweeney Road.

The driver was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the CHP said. 

“The Santa Barbara County Coroner’s Department will be conducting a toxicology (test) to determine whether or not the pedestrian was impaired at the time of the accident,” Powers said.

Members of the Lompoc and Santa Barbara County fire departments initially were dispatched to the scene near the entrance to River Park, but the incident was handled by Lompoc crews.

Highway 246 was closed between the intersections with Highway 1 and Mission Gate Road, but reopened at about 8:30 a.m.

The incident occurred near the Bridge House Emergency Shelter which is located at 2020 Sweeney Road and operated by Good Samaritan Shelter.

— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.