Six migrant workers were struck by an SUV in a North Carolina Walmart parking lot, allegedly in an intentional assault with a vehicle, according to police.
According to a statement from the police, the collision happened around 1:15 p.m. on Sunday outside the Walmart Supercenter on North Generals Boulevard in Lincolnton. The workers suffered injuries that were not life-threatening and were taken to a hospital, police said.
The victims are “conscious and talking” to police, Lincolnton Police Department Maj. Brian R. Greene said Monday. Greene said none of them “had any other connection that we’re aware of” with the driver after being shown a photo of the vehicle’s driver.
The driver’s motive remains unknown. Greene said the victims were seasonal workers at an orchard in Lawndale, about 20 miles west of the Walmart. He explained that they had gone shopping that day. The driver “was described as an older white male,” according to Lincolnton police. The involved vehicle was described by police as an “older model mid-size black SUV with a luggage rack.”
On Monday night, police said Daniel Gonzalez, 68, of Hickory, surrendered to the Lincolnton Police Department with several relatives by his side. Gonzalez’s family members told detectives that he accidentally hit the gas pedal while trying to park his car and fled the scene in a panic.
Earlier Monday, the police department stated that detectives believed the assault was intentional. The motives of the driver are still being investigated, according to Maj. Brian Greene, interim chief of the Lincolnton Police Department, and police are considering new evidence.
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