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Durham, NC (October 18, 2026) - A 37-year-old man was killed Sunday night when a southbound vehicle struck him on the Durham Freeway, NC 147, in Durham, according to police.
Police said the man had parked his vehicle on the shoulder because of a flat tire and had gotten out before he was struck. The other driver fled the scene.
The Durham Police Traffic and Crash Team responded at approximately 10:06 p.m. Emergency radio traffic indicated that responders attempted CPR before the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
As of Monday morning, October 19, police had not identified the striking vehicle, no arrests had been made and the investigation was ongoing. Police had not released the man’s name in the available account.
Police asked anyone with information about the crash to contact Investigator D. A. Monroe. Anonymous information could also be provided through Crime Stoppers, which offered a reward of up to $2,000 for information resulting in an arrest in a felony case.
The Driver’s Departure and Responsibility for the Death
Police said the driver fled after striking the man who had exited his vehicle following a flat tire on the Durham Freeway. In assessing a possible wrongful-death claim, the driver’s departure and the conduct that caused the fatal impact are separate matters. Evidence of leaving afterward does not, by itself, explain how the collision occurred.
North Carolina’s wrongful-death statute requires that another person’s wrongful act, neglect or default caused the death under circumstances that would have supported a claim had the person survived. A pedestrian crash attorney can assess that connection rather than treating the driver’s flight as a complete explanation of responsibility. Any qualifying action must be brought by the deceased person’s personal representative or collector, not automatically by a relative.
Legal Help After a Fatal Hit-And-Run
A family grieving a fatal hit-and-run may want answers about both the driver’s departure and the death itself. A legal conversation can help clarify whether the circumstances support a wrongful-death claim and what still needs to be established, without asking the family to reconstruct the collision on its own.
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