Cherokee Indian Police Department (CIPD) Officers responded to a report of a female subject that had been struck by a vehicle on Casino Trail in the area of the Cherokee Pharmacy and Food Lion on Monday, Aug. 8 at approximately 9:28pm. Upon arrival, CIPD officers found that Althia Lossie Cruz, 51, an EBCI tribal member from Cherokee, had been struck and critically injured by a vehicle. The driver of the vehicle that struck Cruz was still on scene when officers arrived.
Cruz was transported to the Cherokee Indian Hospital by Tribal EMS. She succumbed to the injuries and was pronounced dead at the emergency room.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol assisted CIPD officers with the accident scene. This incident is still under investigation.
– CIPD
