Marines charged after two campers hit by truck while inside tent

CRAVEN COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - Two Marine who are motor vehicle operators at Camp Lejeune have been charged after deputies say their personal pickup truck hit a tent with two people inside.

Craven County deputies say they got a call around 11:15 p.m. Friday to the Catfish Lake Road area of the Croatan National Forest.

A man and a woman, one a Navy corpsman and the other a civilian, had been camping in the tent when it was struck by a truck that did not stop.

The two ended up at Vidant Medical Center with serious injuries, but are expected to be okay.

Deputies were able to identify the vehicle and with the help of NCIS, the truck was seized as evidence at Camp Lejeune.

Lance Corporal Alfredo Morales owns the truck, according to deputies, while Lance Corporal Johnathon Chicas was a passenger. Both have been charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injuries.

Camp Lejeune says the two are both members of the 2D Transportation Battalion, Bravo Company and they are assigned as motor vehicle operators.

Deputies say additional charges are pending in the case.

SUNDAY STORY

Two active-duty service members are in the hospital after they were hit by a truck while camping in the Croatan Forest on Friday before midnight.

Major David McFadyen of the Craven County Sheriff’s Office said one man and one woman were taken to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville with serious injuries, but they are in stable condition.

The driver of the truck is an active-duty Marine stationed at Camp Lejeune, according to McFadyen. The driver’s name was not released.

After hitting the tent, the driver left the scene and was later arrested by authorities. The driver was then taken to the Craven County Sheriff’s Office.

McFadyen said three agencies are investigating this case, including the Craven County Sheriff’s Department, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and NCIS.