Written by staff reporter Lynn Thompson

A pedestrian crossing a busy Kent arterial this evening was struck and killed by a car.

The Kent Fire Department said a man in his late 50s was struck while attempting to cross the northbound lanes of Benson Road at about the 22000 block on Kent's East Hill. The man was about halfway between the nearest crosswalks, said Don Barberie, Kent Fire Department spokesman.

The State Patrol identified the man as Maximiliano Diaz-Salazar, 58, of Seattle.

Fire Department and King County Medic One emergency crews found the man lying unconscious and unresponsive in the road and were unable to revive him. The Washington State Patrol investigated. The car's driver told investigators there wasn't time to stop before hitting the man.

Barberie said that the early darkness combined with rain and standing water on roadways makes it hard for motorists to see pedestrians. He said pedestrians should cross streets only at lighted crosswalks.