Troopers search for driver who allegedly hit, killed 23-year-old Saturday

IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — A young woman was found lying in the middle of the road on Highway 70 near Stamey Farm Road in Statesville Saturday morning. Troopers are trying to find the driver who hit her.

"The state trooper was here when I got here," Teresa Rankins said at her home. "And they told me my baby was dead."

Rankins received the bad news Saturday that her daughter, 23-year-old Christine Ramseur, was dead. Troopers say the driver left without even calling to 911.

"Unfortunately there's not a lot of evidence out there on the scene for us to use," Trooper Goodin, with Highway Patrol, said.

So troopers are asking anyone who saw anything to call them with tips. And the family is pleading for help as well.

"We just need to find out who done this to my sister—why, why my sister," Christine's brother Tyrell Rankins said.

The family told Channel 9 that Christine was known as a kindhearted, generous woman, who often took care of her young nephew.

"He's not going to understand that he's not going to see Aunt Tina no more," Christine's sister Candice Ramseur said.

The family wants justice but more than that, they want a simple phone call from the driver.

"Just give me a phone call," T. Rankins said. "You can call me anonymous. You can block the call—just call. And tell me that you didn't mean to kill my baby and just leave her out there."

"We just want some closure for my sister because she didn't have to leave like that," C. Ramseur said. "She shouldn't have left like that."

According to troopers, the hit and run would have happened sometime between 3:00 a.m. and 5:45 a.m. They're following up on leads right now, but troopers said they would aggressively pursue any tip. They said the car would have damage to the left front bumper.

If you have any information about the crime please call Highway Patrol at 828-466-5500.