
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, February 24, 1991                   TAG: 9102240236
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Daniel Howes
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

PEDESTRIAN DIES CROSSING U.S. 460

The Bucknam twins wanted to check their mail Friday at the Blue Ridge Post Office. Instead, they found disaster.

Edith F. Bucknam, 42, died after a car driven by a Roanoke man hit her as she walked across U.S. 460.

"As soon as [the driver] saw her, he hit the brakes," Trooper G.E. Ayers said. "He said when he saw her she wasn't looking at traffic. She was looking down."

Michael H. Micklem was heading west on U.S. 460 around 6:30 p.m. when Bucknam stepped into the left lane and was struck by the driver's side of the 1989-model car, Ayers said.

"I was getting ready to take off myself," Edna Bucknam said Saturday. "I saw the car hit my sister. But I didn't know it was her until I turned around to say something to her and she wasn't there. That was the loneliest feeling.

"I saw the car hit, and she went up in the air and she came back down on the car."

Edna Bucknam said she "was looking that way and didn't see nothing. It was that quick."

Edith Bucknam was flown to Roanoke Memorial Hospital, where she died. Micklem was not charged.

Keywords:
FATALITY

by CNB