North Carolina Woman Faces Felony Charges After Allegedly Striking Boyfriend with Car

A North Carolina woman, Lauren Welch, 23, is facing felony charges after police say she struck her boyfriend with her car at a campground in Cumberland Township early Sunday morning. Welch, from Pelham, North Carolina, has been charged with aggravated assault with a vehicle while driving under the influence (DUI), along with other misdemeanor DUI-related charges, according to court records.

The incident occurred at the Round Top Campground on Knight Road in Cumberland Township around 12:53 a.m. on Sunday, September 14, 2024. When officers arrived on the scene, they found a man lying in the roadway, screaming in pain. The man, also from Pelham, North Carolina, identified himself as Welch’s boyfriend and explained that they had been staying at the campground together in a camper.

According to the victim, the couple had been having disagreements throughout the weekend, and Welch had previously attempted to run him over with her vehicle two or three times on Saturday. On Sunday morning, after another argument, the victim packed his bags and left the camper, only to be struck from behind by a car as he walked away.

Emergency medical services (EMS) crews arrived and determined that the victim had no sensation from the waist down and no reflexes from his feet, complaining of severe lower back pain. He was airlifted to a nearby hospital by a medical helicopter.

Two witnesses at the campground told police they saw the victim walking with a backpack and asking them to call the police. Shortly after, they witnessed a silver Hyundai approach the victim, driven by an adult female. They reported that the driver and the victim were arguing, with the woman yelling for him to “get in the car.” When the victim refused, the witnesses saw the car drive into him. The vehicle then returned to the campsite.

Officers found Welch at the campsite with the silver Hyundai parked outside. Welch admitted to the officers that she and her boyfriend had not been getting along for several days. She also stated that she followed him in the car after he left but denied intentionally striking him. However, Welch admitted she “may have struck him,” according to the affidavit.

Welch also admitted to consuming alcohol and marijuana that day. She was taken to Gettysburg Hospital for a blood alcohol content (BAC) test, but the results were not yet available. Welch is being held on $15,000 bail at Adams County Prison, with a preliminary hearing set for September 25, 2024.