Pickup hits 24-year-old Outer Banks visitor walking dog, killing them both, cops say

A 24-year-old and his dog were killed when a pickup truck hit them on the Outer Banks, officials said.

The man was walking his pet along the shoulder on one of North Carolina’s barrier islands when a driver became distracted and ran into them on Sunday, July 17, according to state troopers.

The dog died at the scene, and the owner was taken to two different hospitals before he died from crash-related injuries. The N.C. Highway Patrol identified him as Thomas Koconis of Boston, Massachusetts.

Officials said they were called at about 3:45 p.m. after Koconis and his dog were hit along N.C. Highway 12, a thoroughfare that links several Outer Banks tourist destinations. The crash happened in Avon, which lies on Hatteras Island.

Sgt. S.D. Hurley told McClatchy News the pickup driver — a 64-year-old who has homes in North Carolina and Texas — wasn’t hurt in the crash. He has been charged, though online court records hadn’t been updated as of about 11:45 a.m. July 20.

State troopers said the driver didn’t show indications that he was impaired.

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