NC father charged with shooting man who hit and killed his son

A team of divers are expected to resume searching for a gun that deputies say a father used to kill a driver who hit and killed his son Monday morning.

Person County deputies said the driver was shot and killed after he hit a boy walking on the road with his parents after their car broke down.

According to the sheriff's office, a mother, father and son ran out of gas around 6:30 a.m. in the area of Dink Ashley Road, near Timberlake, North Carolina.

The family was walking home on the side of the road when their son was struck by another vehicle, according to the sheriff. The child died at the scene.

The sheriff said the driver, identified as Jeffrey McKay, stopped and called 911. The father of the child who was hit allegedly pulled out a gun and shot McKay, who was transported to a local hospital and died, according to the sheriff.

The sheriff said the mother and father got in McKay's truck and drove away, leaving their dead child at the scene.

Deputies found the stolen truck at the family's home and arrested the father, identified as Chad Woods. Woods was charged with second-degree murder and larceny of motor vehicle.

No charges were announced for the mother, the sheriff's office said.

Before noon, Sky 5 flew over the area where the crash occurred. Deputies were searching for the weapon used in the shooting, which the shooter said he threw into a pond. The search involved K-9s and a dive team but wrapped up shortly after noon due to hot temperatures.

Multiple people called 911 to report a family walking in the roadway before the crash.

"I thought it was just a car accident ... but when I walked across the road and looked, I never did see a car," said witness Patti Elliott. "The person driving the truck, he was trying to do the right thing, but in the process, he gets shot and killed for it."

Elliott said the road is known for its traffic but said she is still in shock.

"I think the world is going crazy, I do," she said. "I mean you can't go anywhere now where there aren't shootings going on. It's kinda sad."

A spokesperson from the state Department of Adult Correction said McKay was an electrical supervisor who worked in the engineering division.