New Bern Pedestrian in Critical Condition After Struck by Drunk Driver | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

A New Bern man is in the hospital tonight in critical condition after police report he was the victim of a hit and run. The incident occurred late in the evening around midnight without notice.

The victim, Arrild Force, and his brother were walking down South Glenburnie Road when a black Mitsubishi Eclipse struck and critically injured him. Without a second thought the driver of the vehicle left the scene. Currently, the 23-year-old man is in a Wilmington hospital suffering from his injuries.

Later, after the hit and run the police say they found the Eclipse on Tomlinson Boulevard and charged its driver, Brittany Hanigan with DWI. New Bern police say Hanigan already had a pending court date later this month in Charlotte for another DWI charge. The 24-year-old Hanigan is in jail on a $15,000 bond. Detectives are still looking for a passenger in the Eclipse and other witnesses in the case. There are additional charges expected.

After an accident involving injuries, drivers usually have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to help any injured person — including calling for assistance from emergency medical services — and to report the accident to local law enforcement.

Any driver who fails to fulfill their duties after being involved in an accident can receive a traffic ticket, at a minimum. In some cases, especially when an accident causes injury or death, a driver who leaves the scene of an accident can be subject to serious criminal charges such as “felony hit and run.”