AHOSKIE – In an ongoing effort to solve a pair of deadly hit-and-run accidents in the Roanoke-Chowan area, one as far back as four years ago, the Ahoskie office of the North Carolina Highway Patrol is reaching out to the public to help bring closure to the cases as well as to the families of the victims.

“We are requesting the assistance of the public in the hope of uncovering new evidence or in identifying witnesses that would lead to a suspect driver of each of the hit-and-run vehicles,” said First Sergeant Rodney W. Sawyer of the NCHP’s Troop A / District II office in Ahoskie. “We are asking anyone who has any information about either of these fatal hit-and-run collisions to come forward.”

Both of the unsolved cases occurred in Bertie County and in each incident the person killed was a pedestrian.

Sawyer said the oldest of the two fatal mishaps took place in the early morning hours of Sunday, Aug. 10, 2014 along a stretch of US 13/17 known as the “Williamston Field” (located between Windsor and Williamston).

There – somewhere around 3 a.m. – a passing motorist reported a body lying in the right-hand, northbound lane of US 13/17.

That victim, found deceased, was later identified as 29-year-old Victoria Little of 313 South Biggs Street, Apartment B, in Williamston.

“The vehicle that struck and killed Ms. Little failed to stop at the scene and investigators later were unable to locate any evidence indicating a type, color, or make of the vehicle involved,” Sawyer said.

The second fatal hit-and-run occurred around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 23, 2015 on NC 42 near Colerain Peanut Company. The victim was 31-year-old Sherman “Wayne” Morning, Jr. of 235 Harrell Road in Colerain.

This case is a bit more complex as the Bertie Sheriff’s Office and Bertie EMS received a call around 11:30 p.m. on Monday, June 22, 2015 about a body in the roadway near the Peanut Company. However, an extensive search by both deputies and EMS personnel of the highway in and around that location turned up nothing.

Approximately two hours later (1:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 23, 2015) a second call was received and this time the caller reported a black male was lying in the road at the same location. This time, when dispatched, authorities discovered a body (later identified as Morning) that appeared to have been struck by a vehicle and the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Family members reported that Morning was walking home and that he lived about 2-1/2 miles from where he was struck.

As in the 2014 case, Sawyer said investigators were unable to locate any evidence indicating a type, color or make of the involved vehicle that failed to stop after striking Morning.

Anyone with information on either of these two fatal hit-and-run cases are encouraged to contact the NCHP’s Ahoskie office at (252) 332-6800 or by visiting the office located at 242 NC 42 West.