DURHAM, N.C. — A woman identified as Niyanna Autry was found dead on Interstate 40 East near Raleigh-Durham International Airport after being struck by multiple vehicles, prompting a major police investigation and hours-long highway closures early Friday morning.

According to Durham police, officers responded at approximately 1:30 a.m. to a report of a pedestrian being struck on I-40 East near Davis Drive. When officers arrived, they found the woman dead at the scene.

Investigators said the woman had been struck multiple times by vehicles whose identities were unknown at the time of the report.

The incident led authorities to close a busy stretch of eastbound I-40 while officers investigated the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death. The closure caused significant traffic congestion during the early morning hours, affecting commuters traveling through the Raleigh-Durham area.

The affected section of Interstate 40 East was closed for approximately one mile, between Exit 280 at Davis Drive and Exit 281 for South Miami Boulevard.

The closure began before the morning commute and remained in place for several hours as investigators worked at the scene.

Traffic delays extended beyond I-40 and affected Interstate 885, creating substantial backups for drivers traveling through the area.

WRAL’s Breaking News Tracker arrived at the scene before 4 a.m. and observed multiple officers blocking the interstate while the investigation continued. Reporters were not permitted to approach the scene.

By approximately 6 a.m., traffic congestion had intensified as commuters encountered the highway closure.

WRAL reporter Shaun Gallagher reported that the miles-long backups resembled the traffic conditions typically seen around 8:30 a.m. rather than the lighter traffic normally expected at 6 a.m.

The disruption affected motorists traveling toward Raleigh-Durham International Airport and other destinations along the busy interstate corridor.

Authorities gradually reopened the highway as the investigation progressed.

At approximately 8 a.m., at least one lane of eastbound I-40 had reopened, allowing traffic to begin moving again.

By approximately 8:30 a.m., all eastbound lanes had reopened, ending the hours-long closure between Davis Drive and South Miami Boulevard.

Although the reopening restored traffic flow, the incident caused significant delays during the morning commute.

Durham police said the woman had been struck by multiple vehicles, but the drivers involved were not identified in the information provided for this report.

Additional details about the events leading up to the incident, whether the woman was walking along or attempting to cross the interstate, and whether any drivers remained at the scene were not provided.

Authorities had not released further information about the investigation in the supplied report.

The circumstances surrounding Niyanna Autry’s death remain an important part of the investigation as authorities work to establish what happened before and after she was struck.