CARTHAGE — A man was struck and killed on Route 142 as he lay in the road and was hit  by pickup truck early Wednesday morning.

Maine State Police said 44-year-old Bert Knox, of Carthage, was killed instantly in the 5 a.m. accident when Kim Micks, 38, of Peru hit Knox with his 2005 Chevrolet pickup truck.

Micks, who was uninjured, told investigators he could not avoid striking what he thought was a dead animal in the road, according to a news release issued by Maine Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland.

Knox was believed to have been intoxicated and had a history of lying in the roadway, McCausland said.

Troopers and deputies from the Franklin County Sheriff Department responded to the scene, which was a short distance from Knox’s home.

No charges are being filed against Micks, McCausland said.

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