A woman who was struck and killed in Mesa after exiting her vehicle early Thursday appeared to have been trying to move a dead animal from the roadway, police said.

Detective Nik Rasheta, a spokesman with the Mesa Police Department, said the unidentified woman in her 40s was driving westbound on University Drive near Center Street around 4 a.m. when she stopped in the center lane and got out of her car.

Rasheta said the woman was struck by a vehicle driving eastbound on University Drive.

She was taken to a nearby hospital shortly after, where she was pronounced dead. 

Rasheta said the driver of the other vehicle remained on the scene and is cooperating with the investigation.

Impairment is not believed to be a factor in the crash and charges are not expected to be filed. 

Rasheta said it “seems likely” that the woman had stopped to move a dead cat that was in the roadway when she was struck. Police don’t think she hit the cat herself, but was just trying to remove it from the road. 

Police have restricted traffic eastbound on University Drive near Center Street for the investigation.

Rasheta said police do not have an estimated time when the roadway will be reopened.

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