Retired Raleigh police officer hit, killed on Interstate 540 in Knightdale

KNIGHTDALE, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Raleigh Police Department (RPD) is mourning the loss of a retired officer who was killed in a crash Friday night.

According to the Knightdale Police Department, officers responded to calls about a pedestrian fatality on I-540 near the overpass at Lynnwood Road around 9:45 p.m. When officers arrived, they found a 55-year-old man who had been hit by a vehicle after exiting his van to re-hitch a trailer he was towing.

Saturday RPD confirmed that retired Raleigh police officer Sergeant Kenneth Hopkins was killed in the crash Friday night. The department released a statement saying in part:

"The RPD is grieving the unexpected loss of a community servant who honorably served in the Marine Corps and then for 22 years with the RPD. He returned to community service as a Youth Mentor with RPD. As we grieve, the family is in our thoughts and prayers as we all heal and support each other in the coming days."

Knightdale police has not released any more information about this incident.