Passenger flies from bed of moving pickup and driver never stops, NC police say

A search is underway in western North Carolina for a pickup driver who never bothered to stop when a passenger bounced out of the truck’s bed, according to police.

It happened late Saturday, April 11, in Boone, and investigators say the mishap was the result of “reckless” driving.

“At approximately 11:57 p.m., officers responded to a report of an injured individual who had fallen from the bed of a moving pickup truck in the area of Perkinsville Drive and Grove Street,” Boone police said in an April 20 news release.

“The vehicle was reported to be traveling in a careless and reckless manner when the male was ejected from the truck bed. The victim suffered serious injuries and was transported to the local hospital for treatment.”

Details of the victim’s condition have not been released.

The truck is described as a dark four-door Dodge Ram with a custom lift and “distinctive white lighting underneath the wheel wells,” police said.

“The department is actively working to determine the circumstances surrounding this incident including the identity of the driver,” police said.

Boone is about a 115-mile drive northwest from uptown Charlotte.