KITTY HAWK, N.C. (WAVY) — A auto-pedestrian crash that killed a man and his two dogs on Highway 158 in Kitty Hawk Wednesday night has stunned people, and has its police chief calling it the worst event he’s had to deal with.
“First and the worse so far, yes sir,” said Kitty Hawk Police Chief Mike Palkovics.
According to police, officers were called to the intersection of North Croatan Highway and White Street at 8:46 p.m. for the report of a vehicle crash involving a pedestrian. A man was walking his two dogs across the street when they were struck by a Honda Accord, police said.
The man, 43-year-old Michael Lamb of Durham, along with his two dogs, died at the scene.
The driver of the Honda Accord stayed on scene and is cooperating with the investigation.
There are no charges at this time, and the crash is still under investigation.
The orange paint still on the road will help investigators piece together what happened Wednesday night. It began with an emergency call “pedestrian hit by vehicle.”
“Officers responded to the area and found a vehicle and a gentleman who had been struck by a vehicle and he had two dogs,” Palkovics said. “Emergency management, fire personnel attempted life saving measures, but unfortunately, they were not successful.”
There is no doubt that Highway 158, with its five lanes, needs to be navigated carefully,
“It is a five-lane road, a major throughfare on the Outer Banks,” Palkovics said. “It is a difficult road to cross. You have to proceed with caution when crossing here,”
The orange paint tells the tragedy, a horrifying event that sounded like something Mary Heckhaus had never heard before.
“I heard a loud screech, a loud thumping metal, and I knew something horrible had happened,” Heckhaus said. “… It was right here at the end of my street.”
She knew this was bad — real bad. She and her daughter called 911 and told them to come quickly.
Heckhaus walked down to the crash.
“I stayed back because I knew it was pretty bad,” she said, “and I heard other people running around screaming, yelling, and that there were dogs involved as well. … It was awful.”
Palkovics said the man and the dogs were struck in the road, and there are several markings there that denote evidence so police can return, measure them and reconstruct the crash, something they were in the process of doing Thursday.
The driver of the vehicle is a local resident, and the Kitty Hawk police chief said he is devastated and has not been charged.
10 On Your Side asked the chief whether it was possible that the driver didn’t see Lamb and the dogs.
“Anything is possible, but I would hate to speculate on that at this time,” Palkovics said. “… We are going to do our due diligence and look at everything that we can to determine all the causes and factors involved in this crash.”
Jeanne Shrader, who has been operating Knitting Addition for 11 years at the intersection, said she knows all about it and keeps a mental note on what is happening there.
She said there’s usually a serious crash there with injuries about every six to eight weeks.
“I would say that this is a difficult intersection,” Shrader said. “It’s a dangerous intersection. … It is horrifying, and I am not surprised.”
While Shrader said speed is an issue — “Oh, I would like to see the speed limit in this section brought down. I think 50 is too fast,” she said — Heckhouse said the highway needs better visibility.
“I think it is very dangerous, and they need more lighting along the highway,” Heckhaus said. “… It’s too dark … just for crossing the highway anytime of the day. There should be some type of light for pedestrian safety.”
Palkovics called for people there to be alert, whether walking or driving.
“My message to people, if you’re walking along be alert, pay attention to what is going on,” he said, “and if you are a pedestrian, make sure you are crossing in the proper location and paying attention to all regards for safety. Be careful where you cross.”