COLLINSVILLE — The man who was found dead in a ditch Wednesday night may have been the victim of a hit-and-run, police said.

Anthony M. Connors, 22, of the 600 block of Camelot in Collinsville, was found dead in a ditch in the 2000 block of Belt Line Road Wednesday evening by a jogger. Connors had apparently been lying in the ditch for several days, in a place where he was not visible from the street.

Assistant Chief Tom Coppotelli said that Connors was last seen about 2:30 a.m. Sunday in the parking lot of a nearby Burger King restaurant, located at Illinois 157 and Belt Line Road - about 200 yards away from the ditch.

Coppotelli said they were fairly certain Connors was struck by a car, though an autopsy scheduled for Thursday afternoon may give more information.

"There is nothing to indicate a different cause of death right now," Coppotelli said.

Coppotelli said there were reports of a bumper or other car parts left lying near the ditch early Sunday, but someone had apparently picked them up, possibly for scrap. However, Coppotelli said they did recover some pieces of the vehicle. It is suspected the vehicle may be a 2004 to 2008 Ford truck or SUV, which may have front-end damage.

Connors was not married and had no children, though Coppotelli said he did have family in the area. He was employed at an Edwardsville golf course, Coppotelli said.

Anyone who has information about Connors' death is asked to contact the Collinsville Police Department at 344-2131, or CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477.

Contact reporter Elizabeth Donald at 239-2507 or edonald@bnd.com.