An Oak Island police officer was thrown about 15 feet after an SUV hit him as he stepped out of his patrol car on the G.V. Barbee Bridge on Saturday night, according to police. Officer Raymond Holleman was taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation and released the next morning. Authorities say the driver stayed at the scene and was arrested.
Town: Officer Hit While Checking Illegally Parked Cars
According to a news release from the Town of Oak Island, Holleman had stopped around 9:24 p.m. to check out several vehicles parked along the bridge for a Southport fireworks display when a Ford Bronco struck him as he exited his patrol car. Officials say the impact knocked him about 15 feet forward and to the right, yet he managed to regain his footing and radio for help.
The release identifies the driver as Jennifer Bradshaw of Southport and states that officers took her into custody after launching an on-scene impaired driving investigation.
Charges Filed and What They Mean
The town lists Bradshaw's charges as felonious serious injury by vehicle, driving while impaired (DWI), reckless driving to endanger, failure to move over/injury to person, and vehicle registration and inspection violations, and says she was held under a $30,000 secured bond.
Felony serious injury by vehicle is prosecuted under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-141.4 and can be charged when impaired driving is the proximate cause of a serious injury; penalties increase for repeat offenders under that statute. North Carolina's "move over" rules, spelled out in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-157, also create criminal exposure if a driver's failure to yield or change lanes results in injury to a responder.
Police Warnings After the Crash
The Oak Island Police Department used the incident as a cautionary tale, reminding drivers that parking on the bridge for anything other than an emergency is both illegal and dangerous, and urging holiday revelers to avoid getting behind the wheel while impaired.
As WECT reports, officers said some of the vehicles Holleman stopped to investigate were obstructing portions of the travel lane before he was struck. Police also underscored the state's move-over requirements and the heightened risk first responders face when working along busy roadways.
Case Status
Bradshaw was held under a $30,000 secured bond and faces both felony and misdemeanor counts while investigators and prosecutors continue to review the case. Local reporting indicates the impaired-driving inquiry remains active and that court processing will be handled by the appropriate Brunswick County authorities, according to the Charlotte Observer.
