Authorities in Lincolnton, N.C., arrested a man Monday evening and charged him with felony hit-and-run, after they said he struck and injured six migrant workers with an SUV outside a Walmart the previous day.
Daniel Gonzalez, 68, walked into the Lincolnton Police Department with several family members about 6 p.m. Monday, police said in a statement. The family members told police that Gonzalez had told them he was parking at the Walmart and hit the gas by accident. According to the family, he then panicked and fled the scene.
Gonzalez, a resident of Hickory, N.C., north of Lincolnton, is cooperating with detectives on their investigation, police said. He was released on $50,000 bond, they said.
The crash took place around 1:15 p.m. Sunday outside the Walmart Supercenter on North Generals Boulevard in Lincolnton, a town roughly 35 miles northwest of Charlotte that is home to 11,000 people, police said in an earlier statement.
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The workers suffered injuries that were not life-threatening and were taken to a hospital, police said. They were treated and released on Sunday, Maj. Brian R. Greene of the Lincolnton Police Department told The Washington Post.
Share this articleSharePolice initially said it appeared the victims had been hit intentionally.
The victims were seasonal workers who were employed at an orchard in Lawndale, about 20 miles west of the Walmart, Greene said. They were at the store that day to shop, he said.
Knob Creek Orchards in Lawndale confirmed in a Facebook post that their workers were involved.
Lincolnton police released photos of the vehicle they said was involved, an “older model mid-size black [SUV] with a luggage rack,” and urged the public to come forward with any information about the driver or the vehicle.
Walmart spokesperson Joe Pennington said in an email Monday that the company was “aware of this incident” and was “working with local law enforcement as they investigate.”
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