Clayton High School senior killed while crossing road

An 18-year-old was fatally struck by a vehicle in Clayton on Thursday morning.

Witnesses told authorities that Gustavo Alexis Armenta Valadez, a student at Clayton High School, was crossing N.C. Highway 42 from Alta Mobile Home Park just before 7 a.m.

A vehicle driving south on Lombard Street struck him.

Armenta Valadez died at the scene.

Clayton police chief Blair Myhand said it was dark and raining, and the driver didn’t see Armenta Valadez.

The driver remained at the scene, Myhand said, and he didn’t expect charges to be filed.

Myhand said investigators believe Armenta Valadez was on his way to school. He had just left the mobile home park, where he lived.

An investigation is ongoing.

Clayton High School Principal Bennett Jones said Armenta Valadez was going to graduate in May.

“His teachers fondly remember him as a dedicated student who really wanted to pursue more in life,” Jones said.

Jessica Daughtry worked with Armenta Valadez at Venero's Pizza in Clayton. She said work was tough Thursday evening, following his death.

"I just wish it didn't happen to him," she said. "It's still unreal to me. I still feel like he should be here working. It's just weird vibes here, really sad vibes."

Their last reaction was a lighthearted prank between two friends.

"I pinched him on St. Patrick's Day and he got so mad at me," Daughtry recalled.

Armenta Valadez's cousin said the 18-year-old had recently saved up to buy a car, and was very focused on family, school and work.

Grief counselors were available at Clayton High School on Thursday.

In 2015, a 12-year-old boy was killed when running across South Lombard Street near the mobile home park.

A spokesperson with the Department of Transportation said there will be a follow-up investigation to determine if changes should be made in the area. They will look at variables, including traffic volume, crash history and pedestrian traffic to determine what, fi any, recommendations are needed.