Marines charged after truck runs over campers in Croatan National Forest, NC cops say
Two campers are seriously injured after officials say they were run over in Eastern North Carolina.
The two, a Navy Corpsman and a civilian, were camping in a tent in Croatan National Forest late Friday when their tent was hit by a vehicle, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Officials originally told local news outlets that the two were both stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.
The two were taken to Carolina East Medical Center and transferred to Vidant Hospital in Greenville with serious injures, the sheriff’s office says. They are expected to recover.
The driver, who officials say is stationed at Camp Lejeune, drove off after hitting the tent, the sheriff’s office says.
The driver was later identified as Alfredo Junior Morales, who owns the truck. Morales and Johnathon Chicas, the passenger in the truck who is also stationed at Camp Lejeune, are “charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injuries,” the sheriff’s office says. They are being held at the Craven County Detention Facility.
The investigation is ongoing.
Croatan National Forest is near New Bern and about 135 miles from Raleigh.
This story was originally published May 23, 2021 at 1:10 PM with the headline "Marines charged after truck runs over campers in Croatan National Forest, NC cops say."
