A woman was hit and killed by a vehicle early Wednesday morning according to the California Highway Patrol.

Officers responded to Highway 99 between Sultana Drive and Westside Boulevard Wednesday at approximately 12:30 a.m. and located a woman who had been struck by an SUV  after attempting to run across Northbound 99 lanes.

According to officer Zuniga, a woman and a male occupant were traveling in a vehicle Southbound on Highway 99, at the time of this press release, it was unknown who was the driver.

During the investigation, officers said the driver pulled the vehicle over to the right shoulder of Southbound 99, for unknown reasons the woman exited the vehicle and ran across the southbound lanes, she then jumped over the metal guard rail in the center median and attempted to cross the northbound lanes when she was struck by a Toyota SUV driven by a 48-year-old woman from Merced.

Officers said a witness had pulled the woman out of the roadway into the center median to prevent her from being run over again.

CHP said the driver of the SUV cooperated with officers, alcohol or drugs was not a factor.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities are trying to find out what caused the woman to run across the highway.

CHP is asking any witnesses to the collision to please contact Investigator V. Villegas at (209)356-6631 or the Merced Communications center at (209)356-2900