GROVERTOWN, Ind. (AP) _ Police in northern Indiana say a man was found dead after being hit by a vehicle about a mile from where he left his wrecked truck.

The Starke County Sheriff's Department says 33-year-old Christopher Howard from the community of Grovertown was reported missing Tuesday afternoon after last being seen leaving a friend's home about 2 a.m. that day.

Officers found Howard's truck abandoned after a crash and spotted foot prints leading away from the scene.

The sheriff's department says officers searching the area found Howard's body along U.S. 30 near Grovertown, which is about 25 miles southwest of South Bend.

Authorities say Howard died from head and chest injuries. Investigators are searching for the vehicle that hit him.