A suspect vehicle has been tested for the victim’s DNA, but state and local police continue searching for the driver responsible for hitting and killing a man who was walking along U.S. 321 near the exit for River Road early in the morning of August 18, 2014. Multiple news outlets have identified the deceased pedestrian as John Morrison of Mountain View, and anyone with information about the deadly crash is being asked to call (828) 466-5500.
Pedestrians have no protection against serious or fatal injuries when they get struck by a car or truck. As Carolina personal injury and wrongful death attorneys who have helped dozens of people hurt in such accidents, my colleagues and I know that drivers literally hold people’s lives in their hands when they take the wheel. This is especially true when pedestrians come into view in unexpected places like highway shoulders. News reports on the incident in Hickory include speculation that the at-fault driver may not have seen the man on foot before striking him, but that could just mean that the person driving was not looking.
Regardless of why the accident occurred, securing justice for the victim and his grieving friends and family members has been made difficult by the driver’s failure to stay at the scene. We know that tracking down hit-and-run drivers is possible, though, and we hope the officials investigating this crash find the person responsible. Failing that, coverage for death and burial expenses may be available through the victim’s uninsured/underinsured rider on his own automobile insurance policy.
Our deepest condolences go out to the deceased pedestrian’s loved one for their sudden and unexpected loss.
EJL