Hit-and-run driver stops, but not to help victim
CUMBERLAND COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Investigators say a driver who hit and killed a pedestrian in Fayetteville Monday night did not try and help the victim.
Troopers say 31-year-old Ronald Reed, Jr. was struck as he crossed Cumberland Road around 10 p.m. Monday. Witnesses say the car kept going.
Surveillance pictures from a nearby business show that vehicle swerve on a side street. The driver jumps out, checks the damage to his SUV, then jumps back in and speeds off.
Stephanie Kinlaw lives nearby and heard Reed get hit. She went outside and saw his body lying near an intersection several hundred feet from the spot where he was struck. She said she won't try and cross Cumberland Road at night.
"The problem with the intersection is that there is no pedestrian crossing," said Kinlaw. "The lights change at different times. So, it's really hard to judge when the cars are coming. So you almost have to wait until there are no cars coming at all before you cross."
The Highway Patrol said the man drove a dark-colored Ford Explorer with a light trim. They have alerted area body and repair shops, and the public, to be on the watch for the vehicle, which probably has damage to the right front end.
"It's going to have front end damage, right headlight damage, and damage to the grille of the vehicle," said Sgt. J.D. Brewington. "We did find a small piece of chrome on the roadway."
Residents who live in the area where the accident took place said Cumberland Road is busy day and night. They would like to see some marked or lighted crosswalks so they don't have to dodge traffic while crossing.
Reed had made it across three lanes of traffic when he was struck just a few feet from the curb.
Anyone with information is being asked to contact the Fayetteville Highway Patrol Office at (910)486-1334.
