Whiteville, NC, community members are mourning the loss of a teenager after a hit-and-run crash claimed his life in Bladen County last week.
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the collision happened on Thursday, July 2, along N.C. Highway 211, between Elwell Ferry Road and the Columbus County line near the Council area.
Troopers said first responders were dispatched to the scene at approximately 8:28 a.m. after reports came in of a pedestrian struck in the roadway.
Investigators said the victim was walking in the eastbound lane of N.C. 211 when an unidentified vehicle hit him. The driver did not stop and left the scene, according to troopers. The man was pronounced dead near the eastbound lane after the crash.
Community members and online tributes have since identified the victim as King Amaru Mark Taylor, 17, of the Whiteville area, though official statements from the Highway Patrol at the time of the initial report described the person killed only as an adult male pedestrian who had not yet been publicly identified. It remains unclear whether authorities have since confirmed his identity through the ongoing investigation.
The Highway Patrol’s Bladen County office is continuing to search for the vehicle involved and is asking anyone with information about the crash, the victim, or the vehicle responsible to come forward. Tips can be submitted to the Bladen County office at 910-642-7169 during business hours, or by dialing *HP at any time.
As of this report, no arrests have been announced, and the driver responsible has not been located. Additional details about how the crash unfolded have not been released publicly as the investigation continues.
News of the teen’s death has spread quickly through the Whiteville and Columbus County area, with many neighbors and classmates expressing grief and shock online. Family and friends are said to be planning services in the coming days, though formal funeral arrangements had not been publicly announced at the time of this writing.
Hit-and-run cases involving pedestrians often take time to resolve, especially when there are few witnesses or limited surveillance in rural stretches of highway. Investigators typically rely on vehicle debris, paint transfer, and tips from the public to help identify a suspect vehicle when the driver flees the scene.
Anyone who may have been traveling along N.C. 211 near Council on the morning of July 2 is urged to contact investigators, even if they believe their information may be minor. Authorities say small details, such as a vehicle description or timing, can sometimes be critical to identifying a driver who fled the scene of a fatal crash.
