A man has died after being struck by an ambulance transporting a patient near Sunderland, Northumbria Police said.
The force said it happened on the A19 shortly after 02:00 GMT.
The ambulance was travelling on the northbound carriageway and did not have its blue lights on when it hit the man, who was in his 30s and died at the scene.
No-one in the ambulance was injured and the driver, a man in his 40s, remained at the scene to assist police with their inquiries, the force said.
It happened on the A19 between the junctions for the A1018 and A690.
Officers from the force’s roads policing unit have launched an investigation.
Sgt Ben Rutherford said: “Our thoughts are firmly with the family and loved ones of the man who has tragically died following this collision.
“We will continue to support them in any way that we can at this incredibly difficult time.”
He appealed for anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage of the incident itself or the moments leading up to the collision to contact the force, as anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem “could prove key to our investigation and help provide answers for the man’s loved ones”.
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