Victim tumbles to death on I-85 in Charlotte after losing grip on car door, cops say
A man clinging to the door of a car on Interstate 85 in Charlotte died early Friday morning after losing his grip and tumbling onto the highway, police said.
Police identified the victim late Friday as 48-year-old Willie Nathaniel Corry Jr.
Corry had been in the car earlier at a 7-Eleven store in the 1100 block of West Sugar Creek Road, according to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department news release.
When Corry entered the store at 1:45 a.m. Friday, someone began to back the 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis from its parking space, according to police. That prompted Corry to rush out and grab the front passenger door, police said.
The driver pulled onto I-85 northbound, and Corry fell off and died, according to the CMPD release. State Highway Patrol troopers found the victim, and Medic pronounced him dead at the scene.
Troopers soon found the car down an embankment between the I-85 connector and Reagan Drive, police said. No one was inside.
A CMPD K-9 unit tried unsuccessfully to find the driver and anyone else who may have been in the car.
Police have not said whether the driver is suspected of trying to steal the car or already was in the car with Corry.
Anyone who saw the crash or has information is asked to call Detective Steve Williams of the CMPD Major Crash Investigation Unit at 704-432-2169, or Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.
This story was originally published October 4, 2019 at 10:04 AM.