Winston-Salem, NC (October 24, 2026) - A pedestrian died after being struck by a 2024 Kia at Ziglar Road and Nylon Drive in Winston-Salem, according to police. The pedestrian suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local medical facility, where the person later died.

Winston-Salem police responded to the North Carolina intersection at 10:50 p.m. Saturday. Police identified the Kia’s driver as Jose Sergio Vivero, 53.

According to the preliminary investigation, the Kia was traveling on Ziglar Road toward Nylon Drive when the pedestrian stepped into the roadway in front of it. Police said the driver was unable to stop before striking the pedestrian. Investigators reported that it was dark and that the pedestrian was wearing headphones.

Vivero stayed at the scene and cooperated with police. He was not injured.

At the time of the initial police account, the pedestrian’s identity was awaiting confirmation. The Winston-Salem Police Department Traffic Enforcement Unit was investigating the collision.

The Role of Headphones in Assessing the Collision

Police reported that the pedestrian wore headphones during the fatal collision at Ziglar Road and Nylon Drive. That observation alone does not establish that the pedestrian failed to hear the approaching Kia or that headphones caused the collision. An account of the pedestrian entering the roadway and the vehicle approaching must be considered in sequence: when the pedestrian entered its path and what opportunity there was to respond matter more than an assumption about headphone use.

A pedestrian accident injury lawyer assessing a possible wrongful-death claim would need to examine whether another person's wrongful conduct caused the fatal injuries. North Carolina law requires circumstances that would have supported an action had the pedestrian lived; neither the death itself nor the headphone detail settles that requirement. Any qualifying action must be brought by the deceased person's personal representative or collector.

Help With a Fatal Pedestrian Claim

After a fatal pedestrian collision, a family may have questions that the initial police account does not answer. An attorney can discuss the evidence needed to evaluate a possible wrongful-death claim and explain who may bring it. The family does not have to reconstruct the collision before seeking that guidance.