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Raleigh, Wake County

Raleigh: Trevor Gray, 24, killed while helping a driver on I-540, police say

WRAL and CBS 17, each citing Raleigh police Sunday afternoon, identified the man as Trevor Gray, 24. Both wrote that he died at the scene. No one has been charged.

UpdatedThis story has changed since it was first published.

By Triangle Local Newsroom · Published · Updated

Downtown Raleigh buildings under a blue sky

File photo: James Willamor (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • A man was killed Saturday night, Oct. 24, 2026, while trying to help a driver on Interstate 540 in north Raleigh.Confirmed by Raleigh Police Department, as reported by WRAL (Oct. 25) and independently by CBS 17 (Oct. 25)
  • WRAL and CBS 17, each citing Raleigh police on Sunday afternoon, identified the man as Trevor Gray, 24.Confirmed by Raleigh Police Department, as reported by WRAL (updated Oct. 25 afternoon) and independently by CBS 17 (updated Oct. 25 afternoon)
  • Both outlets, writing from that Sunday account, said Gray died at the scene.Confirmed by Raleigh Police Department, as reported by WRAL and CBS 17 (updated Oct. 25 afternoon)
  • WRAL, citing Raleigh police, placed the wreck near the Triangle Town Boulevard exit around 11 p.m.Confirmed by Raleigh Police Department, as reported by WRAL (Oct. 25)
  • CBS 17 independently reported the wreck around 10:50 p.m. on westbound I-540 near Exit 14, Falls of Neuse Road.Confirmed by Raleigh Police Department, as reported by CBS 17 (Oct. 25)
  • WRAL's Sunday afternoon account said Gray got out to help a driver who had already been in a crash and was stopped in the median, that a westbound driver then hit that first car, described there as on the side of the road, and that the first car struck Gray.Confirmed by WRAL, updated Oct. 25, 2026, afternoon, citing Raleigh police
  • CBS 17's Sunday afternoon account said an investigation indicated a vehicle had already been in a single-vehicle wreck and sat at an angle in the middle of the highway with no lights on; that Gray pulled onto the left shoulder, walked into the travel lanes to check on the driver still inside; and that a second westbound vehicle hit the dark disabled car, which then struck Gray.Confirmed by Raleigh Police Department, as reported by CBS 17 (updated Oct. 25 afternoon)
  • CBS 17 wrote that Gray was found on the right shoulder after the wreck and that EMS said he died there.Confirmed by CBS 17, updated Oct. 25, 2026, afternoon, citing Raleigh police and EMS
  • WRAL reported that the westbound lanes of I-540 around the crash remained closed as of midnight.Confirmed by WRAL, Oct. 25, 2026
  • NCDOT DriveNC event 2600991 / TIMS ID 26102400044 listed I-540 westbound closed from Exit 17 to Exit 14 in Wake County due to a crash. The posting timed the start at 11:11 p.m. Oct. 24 and showed a last update of 12:19 a.m. Oct. 25.Confirmed by NCDOT DriveNC event 2600991, fetched early Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026
  • A later load of the same DriveNC event address on Sunday morning returned "item not found."Confirmed by NCDOT DriveNC event 2600991, fetched again Oct. 25, 2026
  • CBS 17, citing NCDOT, wrote that both directions were first shut at Exit 17, Triangle Town Boulevard; that eastbound traffic reopened soon after; and that westbound lanes were open again by 2 a.m.Confirmed by CBS 17, Oct. 25, 2026, citing NCDOT
  • CBS 17 wrote that Raleigh police said no one has been charged. WRAL also reported that no charges have been filed.Confirmed by Raleigh Police Department, as reported by CBS 17 and WRAL (Oct. 25)

Still unknown

  • Where the first vehicle sat (WRAL's median / side-of-the-road lines and CBS 17's middle-of-the-highway, no-lights line do not match)
  • How the first motorist came to stop, beyond those two Sunday accounts
  • Whether the striking driver stayed at the scene
  • Whether anyone will later be charged
  • Whether NCDOT has posted a written notice that the lanes reopened

What this means for you

Roads
WRAL reported westbound I-540 near the crash remained closed as of midnight. DriveNC listed westbound I-540 closed from Exit 17 to Exit 14 when we read the event early Sunday; that page later returned item not found. CBS 17, citing NCDOT, wrote that westbound lanes were open again by 2 a.m. Check DriveNC or 511 before you travel.
Public safety
WRAL and CBS 17, each citing Raleigh police, identified the man as Trevor Gray, 24, and wrote that he died at the scene. CBS 17 wrote that no one has been charged. This story is not an official or emergency notice. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

Instructions from NCDOT DriveNC; Raleigh Police Department, as reported by WRAL and CBS 17

This site is not the Raleigh Police Department or NCDOT. For the road, use drivenc.gov or 511. For a police emergency, call 911. This site is not an emergency service. If anyone is in danger, call 911.

What happened

In Raleigh, city police on Sunday afternoon identified the man killed Saturday night while helping a driver on Interstate 540 as Trevor Gray, 24, according to WRAL and CBS 17.

Both outlets, writing from that account, reported that he died at the scene. WRAL placed the wreck near the Triangle Town Boulevard exit around 11 p.m. CBS 17 independently placed it around 10:50 p.m. on the westbound lanes near Exit 14, Falls of Neuse Road.

The two Sunday versions disagree about where that first vehicle sat. In WRAL's telling, Gray got out to help a driver who was already stopped in the median after a crash, a westbound driver then hit that car — which WRAL also described as on the side of the road — and the first car struck Gray. CBS 17's account said an investigation indicated a vehicle sat at an angle in the travel lanes with no lights after a single-vehicle wreck; Gray pulled onto the left shoulder and walked into those lanes to check on the driver still inside; and a second westbound vehicle hit the dark disabled car, which then struck Gray. We are not choosing one version.

CBS 17 added that he was found on the right shoulder afterward and that EMS said he died there.

The state's DriveNC board, when we read it early Sunday, listed westbound I-540 closed from Exit 17 to Exit 14 in Wake County because of a crash. That posting timed the shutdown from 11:11 p.m. Saturday and showed a 12:19 a.m. Sunday update. WRAL reported those westbound lanes still closed as of midnight.

CBS 17, citing NCDOT, later wrote that both directions were first shut at Triangle Town Boulevard; that eastbound traffic reopened soon after; and that westbound lanes were open again by 2 a.m. A later load of the same DriveNC event address returned "item not found." We have not read a written NCDOT clearance of our own.

The department, CBS 17 wrote, said no one has been charged. WRAL reported the same.

Check DriveNC or 511 before you travel. Triangle Local is not city police or NCDOT. This is not an emergency notice. If anyone is in danger, call 911.

What we don't know yet

WRAL's median and roadside lines and CBS 17's middle-of-the-highway, no-lights line do not agree. Officials have not said whether the second driver stayed or if charges will come later. No written NCDOT reopen notice was on the DriveNC event page when we checked.

What happens next

We will update this story if Raleigh police post their own account, settle those conflicting details, or announce charges.

Photos

Text-only. No outlet photos are used here.

Why it matters

A person who stopped to help on a main Raleigh beltline was killed. Sunday afternoon, two outlets, each citing city police, named him as Trevor Gray, 24, and wrote that he died at the scene. The same accounts disagree on where the first vehicle sat. CBS 17, citing NCDOT, wrote that westbound I-540 reopened by 2 a.m.

Updates

  1. Oct 25, 2026, 2:12 PM

    WRAL and CBS 17, each citing Raleigh police Sunday afternoon, identify the man as Trevor Gray, 24, and write that he died at the scene. The two accounts do not match on where the first vehicle sat. WRAL describes a driver already in a crash, stopped in the median, then a westbound hit on a car it also placed on the side of the road. CBS 17 describes a dark disabled vehicle at an angle in the travel lanes and Gray walking out from the left shoulder. No one has been charged.

  2. Oct 25, 2026, 8:09 AM

    CBS 17 independently confirms the death, citing Raleigh police, and places the wreck around 10:50 p.m. on westbound I-540 near Exit 14. The station, citing NCDOT, wrote that westbound lanes reopened by 2 a.m. and that no one has been charged. DriveNC event 2600991 now returns item not found.

  3. Oct 25, 2026, 12:18 AM

    WRAL reports, citing Raleigh police, that a good Samaritan was hit and killed Saturday night while helping a driver on I-540 near Triangle Town Boulevard. DriveNC lists westbound I-540 closed from Exit 17 to Exit 14 because of a crash.

Sources

  1. DriveNC event 2600991 / ID 26102400044 (fetched early Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026: I-540 Westbound CLOSED from Exit 17 to Exit 14 in Wake County due to crash; start Oct 24 2026, 11:11 PM; last updated Oct 25 2026, 12:19 AM). A later Sunday-morning load of the same address returned item not found. Confirms crash and westbound closure only; does not confirm a death, helper, identity, or charges.

    Official sourcePublished by N.C. Department of Transportation · Checked Oct 25, 2026, 2:12 PM

  2. Man killed on I-540 in Raleigh when trying to assist another driver (WRAL, posted about 12:08 a.m. Oct. 25, 2026, updated about 1:58 p.m. display: a man who stopped to help a driver involved in a crash was killed Saturday night near the Triangle Town Boulevard exit around 11 p.m.; Trevor Gray, 24, got out to assist a driver stopped in the median; another driver traveling west hit the first car that was on the side of the road; that car hit Gray; he died at the scene, according to Raleigh police; no charges filed; still investigating. Earlier overnight version had not named him and said circumstances were unknown. Text-only; no WRAL photos or NCDOT file-photo captions used beyond the DriveNC road fact.)

    Published by WRAL · Checked Oct 25, 2026, 2:12 PM

  3. Man killed while trying to help Raleigh motorist along I-540: Police (CBS 17 / WNCN, Rodney Overton, posted 7:44 a.m. Oct. 25, 2026, modified 1:50 p.m. ET: wreck reported around 10:50 p.m. along I-540 westbound just past Litchford Road near Exit 14, Falls of Neuse Road, according to Raleigh police; Sunday afternoon police identified the victim as Trevor Gray, 24, found on the right shoulder; EMS said he died at the scene; investigation indicated a vehicle had been in a single-vehicle crash and stopped at an angle in the middle of the highway with no lights; Gray pulled onto the left shoulder, exited, and entered the travel lanes to check on the driver still inside; a second westbound vehicle hit the dark disabled vehicle, causing it to strike Gray; both directions initially closed at Exit 17, Triangle Town Boulevard; eastbound soon reopened, NCDOT said; westbound open by 2 a.m., NCDOT reported; no one charged; still under investigation. Read via the station's public WordPress JSON because the HTML page returned 403 here. This file does not use the station's video frame.)

    Published by CBS 17 (WNCN) · Checked Oct 25, 2026, 2:12 PM

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