North Carolina
A sea of shoes during a memorial in Raleigh represents thousands of deaths, injuries on NC roads
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Allison Simpson is the wife of Matthew Simpson, a man hit and killed in July 2022 while biking in Durham.
“On a Sunday like today, our family was doing what many families enjoy about living in North Carolina. We were enjoying time outside together on one of the many bike and pedestrian trails on our way home. Matt was hit by a speeding car in front of myself and our two young children, then ages 22 months and 4 years old. The speeding car ran the red light, hit Matt, and never stopped,” she said on NC World Remembrance Day for Road Traffic victims.
“Our lives were completely shattered in an instant. This has been an unimaginable loss for our family. We are working so hard to process the horror of that day and cope with the void that is left in our family without Matt. Our son, now five, says he misses listening to music together with Da-da, and Da-da saying ‘I love you.’ Our daughter, now three, looks at pictures of Da-da and remembers that Da-da was funny. And I’m trying to support our children while missing the support and presence of my best friend and life partner of 17 years.”
Allison said Matthew was a truly unique and one-of-a-kind person and approached the world with a deep curiosity.
“He was kind. He was brilliant, both intellectually and creatively. Yet he was humble and unassuming. He had a gentle nature and could be incredibly silly. He enjoyed taking deep dives into anything that caught his interest,” she said. “And above all else, Matt loved spending time with his family. We had a family song called ‘Together wherever we go.’ I am dedicated to keeping that memory alive and honoring him and everything I do.”
“The World Day of Remembrance is an opportunity to remember and honor those we have loved and lost to traffic violence and to feel supported by our community in the wake of such senseless tragedy. And it is an opportunity to raise awareness so we can stop traffic violence. Traffic violence is preventable. Fulfilling North Carolina’s Vision Zero pledge to end roadways, deaths, and serious injuries is completely possible. We know what works, there just has to be the will to do it.”
Allison said the shoe memorial is a visual representation of the lives lost and is a reminder to do better.
“Far too many lives have been lost and significantly impacted by traffic violence. There are immediate actions that North Carolina can take to save lives. The state can fund standalone bike and pedestrian safety projects, independent of larger roadway projects. Stop the restrictions that limit funding for these life-saving projects and prioritize safe streets for people to remember and honor Matt,” she said.
She said she brought a pair of Matt’s shoes to place along with the thousands at the memorial.
“It made me think of how Matt did not take any decision lightly, including what shoes to get. And I will put my hand on my heart as I do with our children when we want to take a moment and think of da da and remember his love. We still feel Matt’s love every day. We always will. He will always be part of us,” Allison said.
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Sylvia Wiggins, best known for her work with the Helping Hand Mission is also the great aunt of 12-year-old Samantha Briggs, hit and killed one day after her birthday while crossing a Raleigh street in November 2022.
“I just want to thank the response team and the people that came out for the situation with Samantha,” she said. “She was in the (2022 Raleigh Christmas) parade when it was coming down the street and we heard about the beautiful little girl named Hailey who lost her life. Samantha cried, cried, cried about that. Then she told me later on when (Hailey) passed…’We were the same age. We could have been friends.’ That was the kind of person she was.”
Wiggins said the day Samantha died she was packing boxes to deliver to families when she got the news.
“Someone (called and)said, ‘Well you need to get here quick.’ I said ‘What happened?’ She said ‘Your niece just got hit by a car,’” Wiggins recalled.
“Her birthday was the previous day. She begged us to go spend the night with her friends, that’s who she was hanging out with when this incident happened. At the time that this happened, I had mixed emotions. I was just so outdone, I was shocked. I was sad. But when I heard that the person who hit her kept on going, then I got angry. Because I couldn’t believe who would hit a child and leave her in the street like this.”
“In hindsight, there was not a stop sign (where it happened) on Hillsborough Street up there…We need to work on the roads, stop signs, lights, and whatever it takes, caution lights. Because I went there one night (and) I saw a lot of kids running cross… right? And I said, my God, we need a light….I’m speaking on behalf of so many people that couldn’t make it today, (who are) really going through something right now.”
AccuWeather’s 2025 spring forecast
AccuWeather’s l preview of the spring forecast.
Severe weather is expected in Western North Carolina beginning tonight, Saturday, March 15.
National Weather Service forecasts call for showers and thunderstorms as well as gusty winds Saturday night through Sunday night. A wind advisory and hazardous weather outlook have been issued, warning residents of the area of possible danger brought by the storm front.
Here’s what we know about the hazards beginning Saturday night.
Heavy wind warning
A wind advisory issued by the NWS at 1:56 p.m. on Saturday, March 15, is affecting Buncombe, Graham, Haywood, Macon, Madison, Northern Jackson, Southern Jackson and Swain Counties. The advisory, in affect from 6 p.m. Saturday until 2 p.m. Sunday, warns of south winds reaching 20-30 mph with gusts of 40-50 mph expected in the valleys. Winds will gust as high as 70 mph on high peaks and ridgetops.
Winds of this force may blow around unsecured objects and blow down tree limbs, potentially resulting in some power outages. Extra precaution is also advised for drivers, as driving may be more difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.
Thunderstorms, possible flooding, tornadoes
A hazardous weather outlook issued by the NWS at 2:53 p.m. on Saturday, March 15, is affecting northeast Georgia, WNC and Upstate South Carolina. Also in affect 6 p.m. Saturday to 2 p.m. Sunday, the outlook warns of a powerful storm system that will bring heavy rain and severe storms.
Main hazards mentioned in the outlook included damaging wind gusts, as well as “a strong tornado or two” possible in the affected region during the storm. In a Friday report from the Citizen Times, NWS Meteorologist Chris Horne said that while no widespread or severe flooding is expected, some areas of WNC could see heavy or excessive rainfall that could lead to isolated flooding. This was reiterated in the outlook, with highest possibility for flooding in the S.C., Georgia and southwest N.C. mountains.
Strong to severe storms may redevelop Sunday afternoon, but NWS confidence is currently low.
Asheville weekend weather
Saturday, March 15 – Showers and possibly a thunderstorm beginning overnight. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 57 degrees. Breezy, with a south southeast wind 16 to 21 mph and gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Sunday, March 16 – Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 12 p.m., then a slight chance of showers between 12-1 p.m. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 71 degrees. South southeast wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. A 40 percent chance of showers remains between 7 p.m.-1 a.m. Mostly cloudy Sunday night, with a low around 35 degrees. North northwest wind 6 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Hendersonville weekend weather
Saturday, March 15 – Scattered showers, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1 a.m. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 58 degrees. Breezy, with a south wind 17 to 24 mph and gusts as high as 45 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
Sunday, March 16 – Showers and thunderstorms before 12 p.m., then a slight chance of showers between 12-1 p.m. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Patchy fog between 7-8 a.m. High near 69 degrees. Breezy, with a south southwest wind 17 to 21 mph and gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. A 20 percent chance of showers continues before 2 a.m. Partly cloudy overnight, with a low around 37 degrees. West wind 7 to 14 mph becoming north northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
North Carolina
No. 1 Duke, without Cooper Flagg, holds off UNC comeback thanks to costly lane violation
In another exciting showdown of the classic college rivalry, No. 1 Duke held off a defiant North Carolina comeback to take a 74-71 win in the ACC tournament semifinals. The Tar Heels trailed by as many as 24 points, but a free throw lane violation cost the team the win.
The shorthanded Blue Devils were without Cooper Flagg, who was ruled out with an ankle injury ahead of Friday’s semifinal matchup. Forward Maliq Brown was also out with a shoulder injury. But even without those starters, Duke was able to get the win and advance to the finals.
The Tar Heels had a huge chance to take the lead with four seconds left. Duke center Khaman Maluach fouled out and gave Tar Heels forward Ven-Allen Lubin a potentially game-winning free throw. But Lubin missed the first free throw, and the second was nullified after a lane violation from UNC forward Jae’Lyn Withers.
Two free throws from Kon Knueppel on the other end sealed the deal for the Blue Devils, who will now face the winner of Clemson-Louisville in the ACC tournament finals on Saturday.
Friday brought another physical, rowdy matchup between the two teams. Duke and UNC traded points early on, but the Blue Devils pulled ahead, holding a double-digit lead throughout much of the first half.
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Duke went on a 15-0 run to end the first half, heading into the locker room with a comfortable 45-24 lead and a lot of momentum. The Blue Devils’ defense was on full display, with players getting big blocks and diving on the floor to keep the Tar Heels from scoring.
Partway through the second half, the Tar Heels started to find a rhythm, chipping away at the deficit. North Carolina cut Duke’s lead down to single digits with less than five minutes remaining in the game, pushing toward a potential comeback. A big and-one from Seth Trimble, plus two more free throws, got the Tar Heels within four points.
With less than a minute left, UNC cut that lead down to one point. That was as close as they’d get.
Flagg sustained his ankle sprain in Duke’s quarterfinal game against Georgia Tech on Thursday. He landed on another player’s foot after jumping for a rebound and immediately hit the floor in pain. He was later seen being transported in a wheelchair for imaging.
Duke head coach Jon Scheyer told reporters after the game Flagg had sustained an ankle sprain and was unlikely to play again in the ACC tournament. The team still hopes he will be able to play in the NCAA tournament, which starts next week.
“It’s not about being ready to go tomorrow,” Scheyer said. “That’s not the most important thing for us. We’ve got to see if we can get him right for this run that we can make in the [NCAA] tournament.
“But I would have to be really convinced that we should even consider seeing if he can go [Friday]. He may not be able to go anyway. He probably won’t be able to go anyway. But I think it’s a real long shot, a real long shot.”
Flagg, the favorite for National Player of the Year honors, posted 15 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four blocks in Duke’s win over the Tar Heels last week. In his first game against them, he had 21 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks.
His absence left Duke in need of someone to step up and take his place. As Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor laid out, the most likely players to do so were fellow freshmen Knueppel, Maluach and Isaiah Evans, all of whom could help their draft stock with a big game without help from Flagg. Knueppel led the team in scoring on Friday, finishing with 17 points, while Maluach ended with 13 points and nine rebounds. Evans had a slower night, ending with two points, two rebounds and two assists.
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