Driver stops to help injured cat in road and gets killed by car, NC police say

An act of kindness turned tragic when a driver was killed while checking on an injured cat in the road, according to investigators in North Carolina.

The incident happened around 9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11, on five-lane Westchester Drive in High Point, police say.

“When officers arrived, they found a 48-year-old woman, Tu Cam Phan, lying in the roadway,” High Point police said in a news release.

“Paramedics attempted life-saving measures and transported Phan to an area hospital, where she was pronounced dead.”

An investigation revealed Phan had pulled her vehicle into the center turn lane on Westchester Drive and got out to check on an injured cat.

“While she was out of her vehicle in the travel lane, she was struck by an oncoming vehicle,” police said.

“The driver of the vehicle that struck Phan remained at the scene, called 911 and cooperated with investigators. Neither speed nor impairment are ... suspected in the crash.”

Charges will not be filed in the case, police said.

The fate of the cat was not revealed.

High Point is about an 80-mile drive northeast from Charlotte.

This story was originally published October 13, 2025 at 10:19 AM with the headline "Driver stops to help injured cat in road and gets killed by car, NC police say."