Fatality near the Fairgrounds: Cleveland County woman struck by vehicle

From our news partner The Shelby Independent www.shelbyindependent.com

A local woman died due to her injuries after being struck by a vehicle on E Marion Street between the Fairgrounds and Cleveland Community College on Wednesday afternoon.

The Shelby Independent reported on the accident via Facebook when the information was first received a little after 3 p.m.

According to reports by witnesses and law enforcement, sometime around 2:45 a vehicle traveling west on E. Marion struck the pedestrian as she was crossing the road. Officers responded to the scene.

The 79-year-old woman was treated for her injuries by Cleveland County E.M.S. and transported to Atrium Health Cleveland Emergency, where she passed away.

The Shelby Independent purposely held details of the story until the name of the victim was confirmed, but still won’t publish her name because of no confirmation that all family members have been notified.  

Definitive information on who was driving the vehicle has not been confirmed.

Every year over 100,000 people attended the Cleveland County Fair, making it the largest state fair in North Carolina. Thousands of people cross E. Marion, back and forth, from parking at the college and other nearby locations to the fairgrounds.

According to the 'Watch for me' statistics by The N.C. Department of Transportation, roughly 3,000 pedestrians are struck by vehicles, every year, just in North Carolina; with about 180 being fatalities.