Woman dies in chain-reaction crash after exiting her car on I-77, NC troopers say

An Alabama woman was fatally hit by her stalled car when it was propelled along Interstate 77 in a chain-reaction crash, according to the North Carolina Highway Patrol.

It happened around 4:15 a.m. Saturday near Mooresville, after her 2022 Honda Accord became disabled in the right northbound lane, Senior Trooper Jake Macchia said in a March 7 news release.

The Honda was then struck by a 2004 silver Ford Explorer, driven by a resident of Davidson, he said.

“The Honda then collided with the driver, who was outside the vehicle at the time,” Macchia said. “The driver of the Honda, Kylah D. Wheeler, 24, of Fultondale, Alabama, succumbed to her injuries at the scene.”

Fultondale is about a 415-mile drive southwest from the crash scene.

The other driver was not injured, officials said.

“The initial investigation concluded speed or impairment were not contributing factors in the collision,” officials said.

“Wheeler had improperly parked her vehicle on the roadway with no lights on. There will be no charges in this case.”

Mooresville is about a 25-mile drive north from uptown Charlotte.

This story was originally published March 7, 2026 at 11:38 AM.