WINDSOR – The North Carolina Highway Patrol has identified the deceased victim of an apparent hit-and-run that took place early Sunday morning along a stretch of US 13/17 known as the “Williamston Field” in Bertie County.

Victoria Little, 29, of Williamston was found lying in the roadway, as reported to the NCHP by a passing motorist at approximately 3 a.m. Sunday.

According to First Sgt. Mike Warren of the NCHP’s Troop A/District II office in Ahoskie, Little’s lifeless body was in the right-hand, northbound lane of US 13/17.

“As of right now, we are treating this as a traffic fatality in a hit-and-run accident involving a motor vehicle and a pedestrian, that is unless evidence from the ME’s (Medical Examiner) office shows otherwise,” Warren told the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald Monday morning.

“We believe Miss Little was lying in the roadway at the time she was struck by a vehicle that did not stop,” Warren added. “The evidence collected at the scene is not telling us much about the possible make and model of that vehicle. The ME’s report may shed some additional light on that.”

The accident scene was 1.7 miles north of the Roanoke River bridge. Initially, the victim was unidentified.

Warren said NCHP Trooper J.C. Copeland, who is leading the investigation, received a phone call later on Sunday that led him to Williamston in search of the victim’s identity.

“Trooper Copeland spoke with family members of the victim; he was shown a photo of an individual that matched the victim found in the roadway,” Warren said. “What we’re trying to do at this time is put together a timeline of Miss Little’s whereabouts and who she was with in the hours leading up to her death. At the same time we have an ongoing investigation in an effort to find the driver of the vehicle that struck Miss Little.”

Warren encouraged anyone with information on either portion of the investigation to contact his office at 252-332-6800.