A 37-year-old man died after being struck by a vehicle while he was stopped on the shoulder of the Durham Freeway to deal with a flat tire, and police are now asking the public for help tracking down the driver who left him there. Rakesh Babu Poojari was hit while out of his car along southbound N.C. 147 near Fayetteville Street, and investigators believe the vehicle that struck him was a Nissan sedan or smaller SUV that fled the scene with serious front-end damage.
According to WRAL, Durham police have asked for the public's help identifying both the vehicle and the driver involved in the deadly crash, which happened Sunday night as Poojari was struck shortly after 10 p.m. while standing outside his disabled car. Officers have said the car that hit him was traveling southbound near Fayetteville Street at the time.
There is some conflict in reporting about exactly when the crash occurred. CBS 17 reported the crash happened just after 10:05 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18, along the same stretch of southbound N.C. 147 near Fayetteville Street, while WRAL's account places the Sunday night crash later in the month. Hoodline could not independently resolve the discrepancy between the two dates based on the available reporting.
Nissan Emblem Left Behind At The Scene
Investigators recovered a piece of physical evidence that could prove key to identifying the vehicle involved. CBS 17 reports that officers found a Nissan emblem from the front of the car right at the scene of the crash, reinforcing their belief that the vehicle is a Nissan-brand sedan or smaller SUV.
Police have described the suspect vehicle as carrying extensive damage to its front bumper, hood and windshield. Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact police.
The News & Observer reported Monday morning, Oct. 19, that the victim's name had not been released; CBS 17's article, published Oct. 28, said police identified the vehicle's make on Wednesday.
A Pattern Of Deadly Roadside Encounters In North Carolina
Poojari's death adds to a string of recent North Carolina cases in which people were killed after stopping, or stopping to help someone else, on the side of a highway. In a separate incident, 24-year-old Trevor Gray was killed on westbound Interstate 540 near Litchford Road after he stopped to help a stranded driver, according to pilotonline.com. Police said in that case a second car traveling west struck the already-stopped vehicle, pushing it into Gray.
Durham has also previously investigated a separate fatal hit-and-run involving a pedestrian on North Duke Street between Fairfield Road and Horton Road, according to the City of Durham. North Carolina's broader crash-data summary has noted that pedestrian deaths climbed by 12 percent statewide, with speeding cited as a factor in 21.4 percent of crash fatalities, according to a report from connect.ncdot.gov.
What North Carolina Law Requires Of Drivers
Under North Carolina General Statute § 20-166, drivers involved in a crash have a legal duty to stop and provide information or assistance to anyone injured, with the law titled to address a driver's duty to stop and furnish aid. The statute, published by the North Carolina General Assembly at ncleg.gov, underscores the legal obligation at the center of the search for Poojari's hit-and-run driver, though no charges, arrest or court filing tied to this specific case have been confirmed.
Durham police are asking anyone with information about the crash to contact Investigator D. Monroe at 919-560-4935, extension 29450, or to reach out to Durham CrimeStoppers at (919) 683-1200. Investigators have not said whether the vehicle has since been located.
