WARWICK — A 23-year-old Warwick man is dead after he lay down in the middle of a main road early yesterday morning and was run over by a car, the police said.

Michael R. Russo, of 1084 Toll Gate Rd., lay down on the road in front of his house under uncertain circumstances just after 3 a.m. yesterday, according to the police.

Russo was then struck by a car headed eastbound on Toll Gate Road, leaving him heavily injured. The driver, who police said may not have even known that he or she had hit a person, drove on, according to Traffic Lt. Raymond E. Gallucci Jr.

Russo’s family declined to speak about the incident.

The police are not investigating this as anything more than a “tragic accident” at this time.

Neighbors said they were asleep and did not hear the commotion.

The accident remains under investigation by the Warwick Police Department Traffic Division and the Rhode Island Office of the State Medical Examiner.

The police ask that anyone who has knowledge of the incident, or was driving in that area early yesterday morning, to contact the traffic division immediately at (401) 468-4343.