Six migrant workers were struck in an apparent hit-and-run by an SUV in a North Carolina Walmart parking lot and the suspected driver is now in custody.
On Sunday afternoon, Lincolnton police responded to a call of an assault with a vehicle at a Walmart when a black SUV appeared to hit six people, according to a press release.
The alleged assault was caught on surveillance video. In the footage, released by the Lincolnton Police Department, the vehicle pulls into a parking spot and then accelerates, driving over the curb.
The victims were transported to Atrium Health-Lincoln Hospital and were treated for “various injuries,” but officials said the injuries were not life-threatening.
Those injured include Jose Calderon, 21; Luis Alcantar, 21; Zalapa Hermosillo, 27; Jorge Lopez, 33; Omar Cordova, 34; and Santiago Baltazar, 35. The victims are reportedly from El Salvador, Mexico, and possibly another country, the Charlotte Observer reported.
According to the newspaper, the victims worked at a North Carolina orchard.
In a statement to PEOPLE, the Lincolnton Police Department said, the alleged driver Daniel Gonzalez turned himself in.
The Hickory, North Carolina man and several of his family members went to the police department. Police said the family members advised that Gonzalez allegedly contacted them after the crash and said he was parking at a Walmart and hit the gas by accident.
Daniel Gonzalez.
City of Lincolnton Police Department
“The family members said he told them he panicked and left the scene,” the statement reads.
The Lincolnton Police Department said Gonzalez, who has been cooperating, was arrested and will be charged with felony hit-and-run. It’s unknown if Gonzalez has a lawyer who can comment on his behalf.
“The motives of the suspect are still being investigated,” authorities said in a press release Sunday. Authorities believe it to have been an “intentional” hit-and-run, according to the press release.
Officials described the suspect as a White male, and his car had a luggage rack attached to it. They also posted images and security footage of the vehicle leaving the scene, hoping for some help from the public.
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Lincolnton Police Department Maj. Brian R. Greene told The New York Times that the migrants were interviewed after the crash but they had no connection to the driver.
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They ask that anyone who has any information regarding this incident contact the Lincolnton Police Department at (704) 736-8900. Detective M. Diallo is the lead investigator in this case.
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Source: HIS Education