Pedestrian struck and killed near Goddard early Sunday identified

Authorities are still trying to find the motorist who struck and killed a pedestrian walking on a gravel road early Sunday near Goddard.

Aaron M. Matej, 36, of Pretty Prairie was found lying in the road at 183rd Street West and 13th Street. and authorities were contacted at 2:20 a.m. Sunday, Sedgwick County sheriff’s Lt. Lin Dehning said. Matej’s vehicle had become stuck in the mud at Central and 183rd Street West.

Matej had called friends to tell them he had become stuck and then started walking, Dehning said. He was found about a mile from his vehicle.

“It’s dangerous when you start walking out in the road at night like that,” Dehning said.

Authorities have talked to a person who was driving in the area at the time of the incident, he said. They also inspected his vehicle.

“It is premature to call anyone a suspect in this case,” Dehning said.

This story was originally published June 15, 2015 at 1:06 PM with the headline "Pedestrian struck and killed near Goddard early Sunday identified."