A man walking along Interstate 40 in Catawba County was struck and killed in an early-morning crash today, according to state troopers. The collision happened in the eastbound lanes just before 7 a.m. near the McDonald Parkway exit, and the driver involved stayed at the scene while investigators got to work.
Troopers told WSOC the victim was a man who was crossing the interstate when he was hit. They also said they are trying to confirm who he was and where he came from, key questions in a crash that unfolded in a place where people on foot are not expected to be.
Interstates Are Not Built For Walking
According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, drivers struck and killed 7,148 pedestrians in the United States in 2024, and a large share of those deaths happen on high-speed roads that are not designed for anyone outside a vehicle. That national pattern helps explain how a person on I-40 in Catawba County could be so vulnerable, with fast-moving traffic and no safe space for walking.
What Officials Say And What Comes Next
The N.C. Department of Transportation and the Governor’s Highway Safety Program have promoted statewide enforcement efforts that target speeding and distracted driving, a safety push the department highlighted last year. Troopers have not released the victim’s name, and they told WSOC their investigation is ongoing and no additional details are available yet.
We will update this story as state troopers and local officials release more information. Motorists in the area should expect lane closures or slowdowns while investigators continue their work at the scene.
