Posted on 08/01/2015 6:43:26 AM PDT by GoneSalt
A man allegedly hit a nine-year-old girl on a bicycle with his truck, stole her bike and left the scene, according to troopers and the victim's mother. Zachary Armstrong, 18, is charged with hit and run, misdemeanor larceny and possession of stolen goods. He was placed in the Carteret County Jail under $20,000 bond.
Troopers with the N.C. Highway Patrol said the girl, Layla Plunkett, was hit Tuesday night on Ole Field Circle in Newport. Investigator's paint lines still mark the road indicating where the bike was dragged by the truck. Troopers say after it happened, Armstrong stopped and picked up the girl's bike and put it in the back of his truck and drove off.
Mandy Dezern said her daughter blacked out and can't remember all that happened.
"She just remembers pulling off to the side of the road and stopping her bike. The she said he [Armstrong] was driving at her and that's the last thing she remembers," Dezern said.
Dezern said her daughter was able to walk home after being hit. Dezern's husband called 911. Plunkett was taken to Carteret Heath Care, that's when a medical helicopter was brought in to airlift her to Vidant Medical Center. Dezern was at work when her daughter was hit but remembers receiving the phone call from her husband.
"I was a nervous wreck. I just broke down and started crying at that point. I was watching the helicopter and following it the whole way on the trip. I just couldn't see her. I had no idea what she looked like." Dezern said.
Dezern said the helicopter was too small for her or her husband to travel with her daughter. At Vidant, the girl was diagnosed with a concussion but also complained of hip pain. Doctor's said she previously suffered a fractured hip and may have fractured it again. After evaluation, Plunkett was released the next day.
Dezern said Armstrong, who lives nearby in the Lighthouse Way Mobile Home Park, returned to the scene of the crime. Dezern said witnesses recognized his truck and wrote down a partial license plate number, leading authorities to make an arrest.
Helicopter airlift for a concussion...??
Devious. He took the bike because it might have had paint chips from his truck on it.
“He took the bike because it might have had paint chips from his truck on it.”
OK, that makes sense, I thought he was just some kind of compulsive criminal. Thanks for “mansplaining” that to me!
He’s lucky she isn’t a lion. He’d be in big trouble.
How about evidence tampering and attempted manslaughter?
Helicopter?
That’s what I thought. The girl was able to walk home. Sure, take her to the hospital, but unless she’s already got severe symptoms or the hospital is 100 miles away, drive her. The helicopter ride is more dangerous than anything else likely to happen.
I was in Children’s Hospital in Oakland, CA, with one of the Flash Jrs on a fairly minor post tonsilitis complication where they put him in with another kid, who was under the weather but not too badly.
Turns out he had been at another hospital 90 miles away on the verge of death with some sudden infection, and either hadn’t got the right diagnosis, because they did not know what he had, or they did not have the right medicine there. That was about two-three hours before we showed up, and he was already on the mend when we got there.
They had helicoptered him in to Oak, and it saved his life.
Our grandson was transferred by helicopter from a small regional hospital to a children’s hospital at a major university following a fall. He was 2 and suffered a concussion with a brain bleed. The regional felt they were unequipped to handle brain trauma in a child so young and called the children’s hospital for advice. Children’s said “get him here ASAP”. Regional asked “by ambulance?” Children’s said “helicopter now!” The trip by ambulance from one hospital to the other would have taken 31/2 hours. The helicopter was less than half that.
Maybe the hospital where this little girl was first seen did not have
equipment and personnel they considered adequate to treat her, so
sent her someplace better prepared.
Our little guy’s accident was 2 years ago and he is fine. It was sure scary at the time.
Just an observation: White 18 year old described as “man”. Black or Hispanic 18 year old described as “teen”.
Or even a snail darter... another ‘thing’ liberals care about...
You weren’t there and this isn’t a full report of her injuries. If her pupils were unequal or she was incoherent, she would need to be in the emergency room immediately.
Or "youth". You are right. Clip of dude is at the site (1:01).
WTF?!
Take Zachary up 5,000 feet in the Medivac helicopter they brought the little girl to the hospital in, tie him to her bicycle he stole, and throw his @ss out.
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