Woman hit and killed while walking in Raleigh, just hours after she was reported missing

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Police said a woman was hit and killed by a driver while she walking along Creedmoor Road around 5:00 a.m. Friday.

State Highway Patrol identified Michelle Gonzalez, 57, as the woman who was hit and killed. They also confirmed that an alert had gone out reporting her missing just a few hours before the deadly accident.

The North Carolina Missing Endangered Alert had been issued for her just after midnight. The report stated that Gonzalez is believed to be suffering from a cognitive impairment. She was last seen in the 600 block of St. Giles Apartments in Raleigh on Thursday at 1 p.m.

Gonzalez had no identification on her.

"Michelle Gonzalez was one of my longtime residents. She was a very sweet lady. She always wanted to find someone to talk to on a daily basis. So, we'd see her outside her apartment. She'd come to the office and we'd have casual conversations about how her day was going and what she has planned, how her kids were doing," said Joe Morris, property manager at Raleigh Gardens. "We've never seen her leave the parking lot here unless someone was driving. Her being on Creedmoor Road at 3:55 in the morning that's hard to believe but it is what it is at this point."

SHP told ABC11 that the driver tried to swerve to avoid hitting the woman, but ultimately the crash could not have been avoided.

The driver remained on scene and no charges have been filed in the accident.