Two Pitt brothers hit, killed
From the Greenville, NC, Reflector, two teenage brothers killed while walking in the median along busy highway.
http://www.reflector.com/local/conte...904GDRhit.html
Quote:
A records check shows Cruz had his driver's license suspended within the last month for driving while impaired.
Will this madness never end :?:
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Two Pitt brothers hit, killed
By Ginger Livingston, The Daily Reflector
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Two Pitt County brothers are dead after being hit by a car while they walked along U.S. 264 Bypass on Saturday afternoon.
An occupant of the car is being sought because he ran away from the scene.
It is believed alcohol was a factor in the accident, law enforcement officials said.
Travis Swinley, 16, and Eric Swinley, 14, residents of Old River Road, died at the scene after been hit by a 1994 Grand Marquis. The elder brother was a junior at North Pitt High School, said Deborah Long, Pitt County Schools spokeswoman.
The younger brother was attending school in another district, she said.
The State Highway Patrol is searching for Marcos Cruz, 20, of Winterville. According to witnesses, Cruz, a Hispanic male who is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs about 200 pounds, was the man who ran from the scene.
The Swinley brothers were walking along the highway's center median, several hundred feet from the overpass where Old River Road crosses U.S. 264.
Witnesses said the Grand Marquis, which was traveling east, swerved into the median and struck the brothers, trooper Jason Brown said.
The Marquis stopped, along with several other vehicles, witnesses said.
"I saw a car run off the side of the road, and I hit the brakes because I thought he was going to hit us," said a Pinetops man who declined to give his name.
He and a companion were traveling west on the highway and stopped to assist.
"I said, ‘Damn, he fell asleep,' � the older man said, who declined to give his name.
The older man said he tried to stop traffic as his friend called for help and went to assist the teenagers. The older man said he watched as one man got out of the Marquis, walked up to his friend, stared at one of the bodies, and turned and walked away.
Brown said other witnesses at the scene saw a Hispanic male running from the scene and chased him up an embankment to Old River Road. The Hispanic man flagged down a car, got in and drove away, Brown said.
Another Hispanic man, who Brown would not identify, stayed with the Marquis.
The man gave conflicting statements to troopers, at first saying he was the
passenger, then saying he was the driver. He later said he was the passenger, Brown said.
When a case of Corona beer was found in the vehicle, including some that had been opened, the man was given a blood test to determine his blood alcohol level. Brown said the man was "extremely intoxicated."
A records check shows Cruz had his driver's license suspended within the last month for driving while impaired.
This is the second vehicular accident in nine days to claim a Pitt County high schooler.
On Aug. 26, Robert "Bo" Thompson, 16, was killed when the Ford Explorer he was a passenger in flipped and struck a utility pole.
Long said a crisis counseling team will be a North Pitt on Tuesday to meet with students and faculty. Pitt County Schools are off Monday due to the Labor Day holiday.
"We were shocked last weekend, and for this to happen again this weekend, it is extremely shocking and extremely unusual," Long said.
Brown said individuals with information about Cruz's location are asked to call the Highway Patrol at 1-800-441-6127.
