Early Morning Death Tuesday Of DOT Worker in Watauga County

A North Carolina Department of Transportation employee died early Tuesday morning in Deep Gap.  According to initial reports, the DOT traffic fatality happened about 4:30 am on Old US 421 just past the Browns Farm Road intersection.  A DOT truck had responded to the report of a tree down in the highway.  The DOT unit had arrived on the scene to clear away the tree when reportedly a DOT worker was hit by another vehicle.  The accident was near Parkway Elementary School.  Old US 421 was blocked for over 4 hours this morning while the NC Highway Patrol investigated the scene.  The name of the victim is David Lee Cook of Boone. No charges have yet been filed against the driver that hit Cook as the NC Highway Patrol is still investigating.