A 19-year-old Lawrence man who was known as a talented swimmer at Free State High School was killed in a car accident Tuesday afternoon on Kansas Highway 10.

Hunter Cade Robinson was westbound on K-10 around 1:15 p.m. when he stopped his van along the north shoulder, just west of Kansas Highway 7, said Technical Trooper Tiffany Bush of the Kansas Highway Patrol.

Robinson left the van and stepped to the front of the vehicle before entering the highway’s right lane of traffic for an unknown reason, Bush said. There, he was hit by a westbound 1999 Chevy Malibu.

Robinson was pronounced dead at the scene, Bush said.

The driver of the Malibu, Cristal M. Howey, 42, of Gardener, was not injured in the crash, according to the KHP’s online crash logs. Howey’s passenger, Donnie Ray Brown Jr., 30, of Kansas City, Kan., was taken to Overland Park Regional Medical Center for a possible injury.

It was not immediately clear why Robinson stopped his van along the highway, Bush said. There were no apparent mechanical issues with the vehicle.

“There wasn’t anything disabling or anything like that,” Bush said. “The van was listed as functional.”

Robinson, a Free State High School alumnus, was a record-holding swimmer for the school, said Annette McDonald, head coach of the school’s swim and dive teams.

“He had a school record as a part of the 200 freestyle relay,” McDonald said. “He was very talented, just naturally talented, and he was such a great part of the team.”

Robinson was dependable and fun to be around, McDonald said.

“I could count on him to do whatever I asked him to. He really contributed to the success of the team,” she said. “And I think everybody enjoyed his camaraderie on the team. We were really fortunate to have him for the four years.”

Following the accident the Kansas Department of Transportation closed all westbound K-10 lanes in the area and reduced the eastbound traffic to one lane for more than two hours. The accident remains under investigation, Bush said.