It was a distracted driver whose car struck and killed Hamed E. Nahi Alsaady of Fridley on I-35W Friday, according to preliminary indications of a Minnesota State Patrol investigation.

The state patrol report Friday said Alsaady was outside his semi trailer truck checking a blown tire on the shoulder of southbound I-35W in Richfield Friday evening when a car drifted right, hitting him and his truck.

Lt. Eric Roeske of the state patrol confirmed that by email Sunday, adding:  

The driver was not arrested at the scene. Once the investigation is complete the case will be forwarded to the county attorney to review for any possible felony charges, if no felony charges are filed it will be sent to the city attorney to review for misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor charges.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office released a report Saturday stating that Alsaady, 51, of Evert Court, Fridley, died at 6:59 p.m. Friday on southbound I-35W and 66th Street S. in Richfield "as a result of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident" nine minutes earlier.

A public Facebook page for Hamed Alsaady of Fridley lists his workplace as Triple Crown Services, a trucking firm based in Indiana. Safety and human resources staff at the company had not returned messages as of Sunday morning.

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