Fayetteville family mourns woman hit by car: 'She was an angel on earth'

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- A family in Fayetteville is opening up after their loved one, 20-year-old Tanaja Blackston, was fatally hit by a car on Sunday.

It happened at Murchison Road and Country Club Drive. Tanaja Blackston's stepfather, Anthony Autry said she was an amazing young woman, but that she had been through a lot.

"She worked two jobs. She was athletic. She just lost her father to ataxia last year," Anthony said.

He and Dimissa Autry, Blackston's mother, said she wanted more out of life and had big dreams of becoming a lawyer and traveling. However, those dreams got cut short.

"Why is it that a pedestrian has to walk all the way down the street just to hit a button, and at the end of the day, sometimes, even if they hit that button, that doesn't mean they're going to make it across?" Dimissa said.

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Autry said Tanaja was walking to McDonald's to meet a friend that evening. That's when police said she was hit by a Mitsubishi at the Murchison Road intersection. Tanaja later died at Cape Fear Valley Hospital.

"It's been 4 days, and I still haven't seen my child. All I have is a shoe that was left at the crime scene," Dimissa said.

"Tanaja's not the first person to be hit in that spot and hurt," Anthony said.

Fayetteville police say they are investigating the incident.

At this time, no arrests or charges have been filed against the driver involved.