NORTH CAROLINA — Police are investigating a fatal pedestrian crash that occurred Thursday night along Smokey Park Highway in Asheville.
According to the Asheville Police Department, officers responded to the incident around 8:45 p.m. on Jan. 22, 2026. A preliminary investigation determined that Eric Jonathan Cope was crossing Smokey Park Highway in the 400 block, outside of a designated crosswalk, when he was struck by a northbound Ford F-250 pickup truck.
Cope was transported to Mission Hospital, where he later died from his injuries. Police said the driver of the truck remained at the scene following the crash…