A 27-year-old Louisiana woman and a 37-year-old Mississippi woman were hit from behind and killed as they walked in a two-lane highway before dawn Thursday, Louisiana State Police said.

A news release said Liltricia Lewis of Bogalusa, Louisiana, and Larshuandra Holmes of Tylertown, Mississippi died at the accident site on Louisiana Highway 1075 north of Louisiana Highway 1074. The intersection is about 5 miles (8 kilometers) south of Bogalusa.

The women were walking south in the southbound lane and were hit by a southbound Nissan Rogue driven by a 64-year-old Bogalusa woman, police said.

The accident occurred shortly before 5 a.m. Online charts show sunrise was at 5:41 a.m.

The crash is being investigated.

The news release said, “Simple precautions such as wearing reflective materials, avoiding distractions, and walking a safe distance from travel lanes while facing oncoming traffic could help prevent many pedestrian related crashes.”