A 22-year-old Plymouth man was killed late Friday night after being struck by a vehicle while walking along U.S. 64 in Washington County. Troopers responded to the scene near Village Drive at about 9:58 p.m. on October 30, and the man, identified as Travon Pettiford, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Pettiford was walking in the westbound lane of U.S. 64 and wearing dark-colored clothing when a westbound vehicle struck him, according to WCTI. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said no charges are anticipated against the driver.
What Investigators Have Said So Far
The circumstances of the crash remain limited to what troopers have released. Troopers were called to the stretch of highway near Village Drive just before 10 p.m., and the same report that identified Pettiford also confirmed he died at the scene rather than at a hospital.
Beyond the lane he was walking in, his clothing, and the direction both he and the vehicle were traveling, no further details about what led up to the crash have been made public. The station's report also did not indicate whether the driver was injured or has been publicly identified.
Pedestrian Deaths Remain a Statewide Concern
The crash adds to a broader pattern flagged in North Carolina's own crash data. A 2024 traffic crash report from the North Carolina Department of Transportation noted that pedestrian deaths surged by 12 percent statewide, even as speeding's share of fatal crashes showed slight improvement. Nationally, pedestrians accounted for 18 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2024, according to an NHTSA publication, which also estimated that 71,635 pedestrians were injured in traffic crashes that year, a 5.0 percent increase from 68,241 in 2023.
Those figures don't explain what happened on U.S. 64 near Village Drive, but they underscore the risks pedestrians face on highways after dark. For now, the State Highway Patrol's account stands as the only official record of Pettiford's death, and no additional findings have been released.
