Maintenance worker hit by two cars and dies on I-40 near Garner

A road worker was killed in an accident at a construction site Friday morning that closed three eastbound lanes on Interstate 40 near U.S. Highway 70.

Kevarus N. Bowens, 45, of Lumberton was crossing I-40 and returning to his vehicle when he was struck and killed by an oncoming vehicle, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.

Bowens was part of a crew that completed work near Exit 306 on U.S. 70, near Garner and Clayton, before sunrise Friday morning. He had just removed a sign alerting drivers to a lane closure in the area. Bowens was wearing a safety vest and his work vehicle's lights were flashing, which should have alerted drivers to his presence, authorities said.

According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, 21-year-old Rontavion Hunter of Garner struck Bowens, throwing him into the roadway where he was struck by a second vehicle driven by 21-year-old Esmeralda Saenz of Smithfield. Bowens died at the scene.

Neither Hunter nor Saenz have been charged with a crime, and neither is suspected of speeding or driving under the influence, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.

Walking on the road next to cars is always dangerous – for pedestrians and drivers. According to the DOT, 250 pedestrians nationwide will be killed in 2023 when they are struck by a motor vehicle.

Bowens is an employee of Stay Alert Safety Services, which contracts with ST Wooten, a private construction company that works with the state Department of Transportation.

He is the second worker to die on I-40 in just over a year.

In May 2023, CJ Bryant, a father of four and ST Wooten employee, died when Jeyson Alexander Murcia-Guillen of Smithfield struck him in a construction zone near the Jones Sausage Road exit. Murcia-Guillen attempted to flee the scene of the accident and was later charged with involuntary manslaughter and hit-and-run, among other charges. He awaits trial on $500,000 bail.

Death causes delays in morning rush hour

There were significant delays starting around 7am as many drivers headed to work. The three lanes were reopened before 9am.

Two other cars were involved in a minor accident near the accident scene. It was unclear whether the two accidents were related.

According to Sky 5, at least two cars were towed from the scene of the accident, including a silver and a red sedan. The focus of the investigation appeared to be a blue car parked in the middle of the road.

A WRAL News crew arrived on scene at 4:30 a.m., when the accident scene was already much larger. Several fire trucks, ambulances and police vehicles were in action.