RALEIGH, N.C. — The vibrant halls of North Carolina State University fell silent this week as the university announced the tragic death of 41-year-old assistant professor Natalia Duque‑Wilckens. On the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 11, she was struck by a vehicle while walking in a crosswalk at the intersection of Pogue Street and Clark Avenue in Raleigh, and despite immediate emergency response, she later died of her injuries.
According to the Raleigh Police Department, officers responded at approximately 6:11 p.m. to reports of a pedestrian struck near campus. They discovered Dr. Duque-Wilckens lying in the roadway with serious injuries. She was transported to a hospital but succumbed to her injuries shortly thereafter.
The driver, 19-year-old Jack Thomas Etheridge of Waxhaw, N.C., remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. He has been cited with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and failure-to-yield causing serious bodily injury, based on the vehicle turning into the crosswalk where Dr. Duque-Wilckens was crossing.
Dr. Duque-Wilckens had been a dedicated educator and researcher in the Department of Biological Sciences at NC State, where she joined the faculty in 2022. Her academic journey included a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Chile (2010) and a Ph.D. in Animal Behavior from the University of California, Davis (2017).
Her research, deeply rooted in understanding emotional regulation and nervous-system mechanisms, focused on creating therapeutic tools for treating conditions such as depression and anxiety. Colleagues recall her ability to merge rigorous science with genuine human compassion, always eager to connect with students and fellow researchers.
In a statement, NC State expressed sorrow over the loss: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague Natalia Duque-Wilckens, and our thoughts are with her family and friends. Support and resources are being provided to those in our community impacted by this loss.”
As the investigation continues, local leaders and the campus community are renewing calls for improved pedestrian safety in the dense area around the university. The tragedy underscores longstanding concerns about traffic and crosswalk conditions near Clark Avenue and Pogue Street — a route many students and faculty traverse daily.
Friends, students, and mentors alike are gathering in remembrance online and in person, sharing stories of Dr. Duque-Wilckens’s warmth, mentorship, and unflagging curiosity. Her absence leaves a void in both the academic world and the lives of those she touched. May her memory inspire ongoing dedication to both scientific discovery and caring human connection.
