CHARGES MAY BE PENDING AGAINST DRIVER IN PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT

By Jon Mayhew
Publisher

LINCOLNTON -- A West Lincoln resident has been initially cited with failing to yield after he accidentally struck a pedestrian in downtown Lincolnton Monday morning, with more charges possibly forthcoming. Police issued a citation to Timothy Scott Biggerstaff after he struck Virginia Dellinger McAlister, 78, of Bonview Avenue, Lincolnton, just before 7 a.m.

Police say McAlister was walking across the intersection of East Main Street and East Court Square, from the tax office towards the Chamber of Commerce office when the incident happened. She wasn't thrown any distance from the impact and authorities said Biggerstaff told them she gave him her name and who to contact.

McAlister was taken to Gaston Memorial Hospital, where she died from her injuries around 9 a.m. Monday.

Sgt. Willie Vaughn with Lincolnton Police said Biggerstaff told him he didn't see McAlister.

"I don't think she saw him either, but that's conjecture at this point," said Vaughn. The investigation has so far revealed McCallister was 11 feet into the road, or almost in the middle of the street at the time of impact.

The investigation into the incident is continuing. An accident reocnstruction team from the North Carolina Highway Patrol was on the scene Monday morning and Vaughn said investigators plan to be on the scene Tuesday morning around 7 a.m. to look at lighting and other conditions.

Authorities plan to consult with the District Attorney's office to determine if more charges will be filed in the case.

"We don't see something like this every day," said Vaughn.

Family spokesman Bryan Lynch said his family holds no bad feelings towards Biggerstaff or Biggerstaff's family for what happened to McAlister; Lynch is McAlister's grandson.

He called the incident a "freak accident."

"We don't want any kind of charges filed against Biggerstaff," said Lynch in a statement.

Warlick Funeral Home is serving the McAlister family. For complete funeral arrangements for Virginia McAlister, see the obituaries page by clicking the obituaries tab at the top of the page. Obituaries on The Carolina Scoop are sponsored by Boger City Pawn.

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