An unidentified man, believed to be a transient, was struck and killed Saturday night on southbound Highway 101 near the downtown Santa Rosa exit, the CHP said.
The CHP briefly closed the freeway's southbound lanes about 8:30 p.m. as officers searched with flashlights for the spot where the man was hit.
Highway Patrol Sgt. Kahl Eidam said they found skid marks in the middle of the roadway.
The CHP website indicated that a man ran from the freeway's west shoulder into a Toyota Tacoma pickup at about 8 p.m. A gray Tacoma with damage to the right front fender was parked on the shoulder alongside the downtown offramp.
Eidam said it wasn't clear how many vehicles struck the man.
The incident was the eighth pedestrian fatality in Santa Rosa this year. Five of the previous seven victims were intoxicated and four were also homeless, according to police.
The other fatalities included an 85-year-old woman, Ruth Camilli, who was pinned against another car in her driveway in January, and 4-year-old Christopher Rowe, who was struck in a West Ninth Street crosswalk on his way to his sister's soccer practice in August.
Another death involved a bicycle rider, Frank Moreno, 49, of Santa Rosa, believed to be homeless, who was struck by two cars on Fulton Road last month. One of the vehicles fled the scene, police said.
Contact Staff Writer Guy Kovner at 521-5457 and guy.kovner@pressdemocrat.com.
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This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
CORRECTION: December 23, 2011
CHP Sgt. Kahl Eidam's name was misspelled in a story posted December 18, 2011.
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