A woman is dead after being hit by multiple vehicles on eastbound I-40 near Raleigh-Durham International Airport, shutting down a mile-long stretch of the interstate in Durham. Police responded to a report of a pedestrian struck near Davis Drive and found the woman dead at the scene.
According to WRAL, Durham police were called to eastbound I-40 near Davis Drive after reports of a pedestrian being struck, and found the woman dead after she had been hit multiple times by vehicles that have not been identified. A crew with WRAL's Breaking News Tracker arrived to find multiple officers blocking the interstate as the investigation got underway.
Police told the outlet they could not release additional information about the investigation at this time, leaving the circumstances of how the woman ended up on the highway, and how many vehicles struck her, unclear for now.
Highway Shut Down for a Mile Near Davis Drive
Eastbound I-40 was closed for about a mile, from Exit 280 at Davis Drive to Exit 281 at South Miami Boulevard, per information attributed to the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Drivers heading that direction were advised to get off at Exit 280 and detour around the closure using NC 54.
Another Deadly Encounter on I-40
In an earlier case, Highway Patrol said 27-year-old Durham woman Diamond Alexus Powell was found dead along I-40 in Orange County after troopers came to believe she had walked away from an initial crash involving her own car and was then struck by another vehicle. The driver who hit and killed Powell fled the scene, and a hit-and-run investigation was underway, the station's report noted.
Broader crash data compiled by WRAL Investigates has flagged several Durham County intersections along I-40 as crash-prone, including I-40 and NC Highway 55, which the outlet identified as having the highest crash total in the county, with 28 crashes recorded in the data reviewed. I-40 and Fayetteville Road and I-40 and NC 45 followed with 19 and 16 crashes respectively, the same analysis found. That data, drawn from NCDOT crash records covering crashes within 150 feet of an intersection, has also informed planning: NCDOT has listed an improvement project for I-40 and NC 55 that would add a third southbound lane, upgrade ramp terminals and include bicycle-pedestrian facilities.
The Durham intersection rankings count crashes of all kinds, not just pedestrian crashes or fatal collisions: NCDOT’s list covers reported crashes within 150 feet of each intersection from Jan. 1 through July 31, 2025. Separately, NCDOT identified planned work at I-40 and NC 55, including ramp-terminal upgrades and bike-pedestrian facilities; that is a different location from the Davis Drive scene. The agency’s project list also includes a pedestrian-safety project at NC 55 and NC 54.
For now, Durham police have not released the identity of the woman or said whether any vehicles or drivers have been identified. Police responded around 1:30 a.m. Friday. Commuters in the area should expect continued detours around the Davis Drive exit as the investigation into her death continues.
The latest statewide figures cited here provide a broader measure of pedestrian danger, though they do not establish a trend specific to I-40 or Durham. North Carolina’s 2024 crash summary records 281 pedestrians killed in motor-vehicle crashes, a 12% increase from 2023; it also says 11% of pedestrians involved in a motor-vehicle crash were killed.
