Goldsboro woman killed by 18-wheeler
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on August 2, 2015 1:50 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
State Highway Patrol Trooper J.M. Holloman takes photos of the tractor-trailer that fatally struck Carrol Ann Violette, 75, on Friday afternoon on N.C. 111 South. No charges are expected to be filed against the driver.
A Goldsboro woman died Friday afternoon after she walked into the path of a tractor-trailer at the intersection of N.C. 111 South and Dollard Town Road.
Carrol Ann Violette, 75, of 101 Biltmore Drive, was leaving a neighborhood store at about 1:45 p.m. to walk back to her home when she stepped in front of the oncoming 18-wheeler.
No charges are expected to be brought against the truck driver.
N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper J.S. Smith said the truck was swerving away from the woman when she hit the side of it.
"She knocked the side of the truck, the trailer part," Smith said. "The truck driver was swerving out of the way toward the middle of the road, and she walked into the side of it. She didn't make direct contact with the front of the truck."
After Ms. Violette hit the tractor trailer, she was knocked about 50 feet away from the point of impact.
Eyewitnesses Michelle Howell and Jamie Gurgannus watched the accident.
"She was right in front of us when we were checking out in the store," Ms. Howell said. "We walked out of the store and saw her at the edge of the road. She went to walk out across the road and I saw the 18-wheeler coming from the side there, and he started laying on his horn and swerving out of the way away from her."
Gurgannus was Ms. Violette's neighbor and lived on Parkwood Drive, which is adjacent to Biltmore Drive off Dallas Road. Dallas Road connects to U.S. 111 South a few hundred yards away from Johnny's Cigarette Market.
It is believed Ms. Violette was walking from the store back to her home at the time of the incident.
Ms. Howell said cars continued to pass by the scene and slow down to look after Ms. Violette was killed, and that a red Chevrolet Silverado and dark gray Ford F-250 had to block traffic to prevent passers-by from seeing the victim.
"Cars kept slowing down to look and some of them had kids in the back of their cars," Ms. Howell said. "I was like, 'C'mon, people, her soul hasn't even got to heaven yet. Have some decency.'"