Woman killed by hit-and-run driver in Orange County

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- A 27-year-old woman was hit and killed while walking on the side of the road on Independence Day.

It happened around 1:30 a.m. on Interstate 40 in Orange County.

North Carolina State Highway Patrol received a call about a possible car crash, but when troopers arrived, they could not find the driver of the vehicle.

Law enforcement launched drones and K-9s in the area, searching for the missing woman. But they found nothing.

On Wednesday, around 8:30 a.m., family members called investigators to tell them they had found the missing driver, whom they identified as Diamond Alexus Powell, 27.

NCSHP said it appeared that Powell walked away from her initial crash scene. While walking along the side of I-40, a passing vehicle crashed into her, knocking her off the roadway and down an embankment.

The driver of that vehicle left without calling police.

The investigation into Powell's death remains open and nobody has yet been charged in the case.