CAROLINA BEACH, NC (WWAY) -- Police in Carolina Beach are looking for a driver who ran over a camper early Sunday morning at Freeman Park.
"He was asleep in his tent about 2:30 in the morning and awakened by someone driving over him in his tent," Carolina Beach Police Det. Harry Humphries said.
Carolina Beach Police say Dale Joseph Sheeler is in the hospital after the accident at Freeman Park. Det. Humphries says Sheeler was sleeping near Zone 6 close to where cars drive on the beach .
"We don't know whether they were drinking," Humphries said. "We know nothing about the driver or the vehicle."
Because so many vehicles drive on the beach, police say they couldn't distinguish which tracks ran over Sheeler and have no idea what type of car it was.
"I mean, it's like New York City out there," Det. Humphries said. "There's people up all night long, and there's traffic in and out all the time, so I'm hoping that somebody was awake and did see something."
Humphries says Sheeler has broken ribs, but no internal injuries. Humphries says it could have turned out much worse.
"I'd say he's very lucky, extremely lucky," Humphries said. "Six inches one way or the other could have made a difference."
A spokeswoman for New Hanover Regional Medical Center says Sheeler is listed in fair condition.
If you have any information on what happened Sunday morning, call Carolina Beach Police.
