ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Buncombe County sheriff’s detectives are investigating the death of a 71-year-old man as a homicide after initially treating the case as a possible pedestrian-involved crash, according to authorities.
Saeid Mohammad Khoshnoud was found about 11 p.m. June 8 lying in the roadway at 1916 U.S. Highway 70 in Swannanoa with serious injuries, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office said. He was taken to Mission Hospital, where he died.
Deputies, Swannanoa Fire, Buncombe EMS and the North Carolina Highway Patrol initially responded to what was reported as a vehicle-versus-pedestrian crash.
However, investigators said information obtained following an autopsy is not consistent with a crash involving a vehicle and pedestrian, prompting the case to be reclassified as a homicide.
Detectives have identified a vehicle seen in the area at the time — a silver Nissan Rogue — and are asking for the public’s help in locating it and its driver.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office at 828-250-6919.
Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office Enforcement Bureau Maj. John Ledford said investigators are working to determine what happened.
“We understand there are a lot of questions regarding what happened to Mr. Khoshnoud, and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office is working diligently to answer those questions,” Ledford said. “At this point in the investigation, we believe this to be isolated with no threat to the community.”