Man hit and killed on the Raleigh Beltline; police seek help finding the driver

Police are looking for the driver who hit and killed a pedestrian on the Beltline early Thursday morning and drove off.

Police say 31-year-old Craig Mckeithen Jr. was walking on the shoulder near the median of eastbound Interstate 440 between Interstate 40 and Poole Road when he was struck. Police are not sure what kind of car or truck hit Mckeithen.

The collision took place about 2:45 a.m.

Police ask anyone who thinks they have information about the incident to visit Crimestoppers at www.p3tips.com/897 for anonymous reporting options or to call 919-996-1193.

Raleigh and areas just outside the city have seen a rash of fatal crashes involving pedestrians in recent months. According to the state Division of Motor Vehicles, 16 people were hit and killed by cars and trucks in Raleigh ZIP codes in 2022.

Of the 19 people killed in crashes in the final three months of the year in Raleigh, 12 were pedestrians, police chief Estella Patterson said at a press briefing Wednesday. Patterson said the increased volume of traffic and excessive speeding were factors and highlighted several special enforcement efforts that officers made last fall to try to “slow drivers down.”

“Like violent crime, speed enforcement is a top priority for me, and we will continue to aggressively address this problem,” she said.