Woman killed in I-40 hit-and-run

DURHAM -- A woman died Wednesday morning after being struck numerous times on Interstate 40 near exit 276, police said.

Officers were dispatched to a report of a deer in the roadway around 6:18 a.m., according to a Durham Police Department news release.

When police arrived, they discovered a woman's body on the highway. She had not been positively identified by late Wednesday.

Police said they believe the woman was driving a Toyota in the far right eastbound lane of I-40 when she struck the side or tire of a tractor-trailer in the next lane. The impact caused the Toyota to go off the right side of the road and hit a guardrail. The car came to rest on the shoulder.

Authorities said the driver of the car apparently got out of her vehicle and walked into the middle of I-40, where she was struck by multiple vehicles. The first one to hit her did not remain at the scene, police said.

The accident tied up two lanes on eastbound I-40 for more than four hours between Fayetteville Road and Miami Boulevard. At one point, traffic was slowed considerably about six miles west of the accident scene.