GATES – A late summer gathering took a tragic turn near here Saturday night.

Nijina Diandra Cross, 29, of Franklin, VA was struck and killed as she walked along Medical Center Road (RP 1300) en route to a cook-out at a residence.

First Sgt. Mike Warren of the North Carolina Highway Patrol said Cross received medical treatment at the scene from members of Gates County Rescue & EMS, but succumbed to her injuries while en route to the hospital.

According to the report filed by NCHP Trooper G.W. Bowman, Cross had parked her vehicle and was on foot, walking in the northbound lane towards the residence hosting the cook-out. Warren said there were multiple cars parked legally (on the shoulder) off both lanes of travel along the two-lane road.

At around 8:50 p.m., Beverly Salter, 65, of Gates, was operating a 2008 Ford SUV north on Medical Center Road, approximately two-tenths of a mile north of the US 158 intersection.

“From Mrs. Salter’s account of the accident, she was aware of the parked vehicles along both shoulders and was also meeting traffic at that time,” Warren stated. “It was a very congested area.”

Bowman’s report noted that Cross was walking in the lane of travel when she was struck from behind by Salter’s vehicle. Following impact, Salter’s vehicle swerved slightly to the right, causing the passenger’s side door to impact the driver’s side mirror of a parked vehicle. Her vehicle continued to travel northbound, at which time Cross’ body strikes the next parked car in line and comes to rest on the shoulder of the road.

Warren said Salter continued to travel north for a short distance before turning around in an effort to return to the accident scene.

He added that no charges will be filed.

The fatality was the 13^th in the NCHP’s Troop A/District II area (Bertie, Gates and Hertford counties) for 2014 and the third in Gates County. Of the 13 fatalities this year, three have been pedestrians.