Man in wheelchair hit, killed by car, sets off chain-reaction crash, NC police say
.jpg "A man in a wheelchair was killed after he was hit by a car while crossing the street.")
A man in a wheelchair was killed Saturday night after he was hit by a car on a road in Charlotte, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said.
The collision led to a second crash, as the Toyota Corolla that hit the pedestrian was then rear-ended by the driver of a Dodge Magnum, police said in a news release.
Officers in the North Tryon Division responded to West Sugar Creek Road after 11 p.m. and found “an unresponsive male in the roadway,” according to the news release.
Police said the driver of the Toyota was driving north in the right-hand lane when the car hit the man in the wheelchair.
With the pedestrian lying in the road, the Toyota driver moved to the left lane and stopped, where it was hit from behind by the driver of a Dodge Magnum, according to the news release.
The man in the wheelchair was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the news release.
There were no passengers in either car, and neither driver was injured in either collision, police said. Both drivers remained at the scene, where they were interviewed by officers, according to the news release.
Police said speed was not a factor in either wreck, and neither of the drivers was impaired.
“Test results are pending for the pedestrian to determine if alcohol or other impairment is a factor,” police said in the release.
Police said they do not know if the man in the wheelchair was “stationary or crossing the road,” but they said he was not in the crosswalk when he was hit by the Toyota, according to the news release.
The pedestrian’s identity will made public after the coroner has notified his family.
The crash remains under investigation, and anyone with information is asked to call 704-432-2169 x4.
