Warren County teen critically injured in hit-and-run

Cody Flowers, 15, was in a medically induced coma at Duke University Hospital in Durham, his mother, Susan Walker, said Monday afternoon. He suffered from several skull fractures and a broken right arm.

Investigators say Flowers was walking northbound along U.S. Highway 1 – about a mile from his home – around 11:45 p.m. Saturday when he was struck and left along the road.

Residents in the area reported hearing a loud noise, and when they checked, found Flowers near the roadside. They called 911 and stayed with him until help arrived.

"I am beside myself, as a mother, livid that somebody could do that and just keep going," said Ellen Paynter, who lives nearby. "Anybody who can just keep going after they hit somebody is a downright heartless person."

Witnesses said they didn't see what kind of vehicle hit the teen but that the driver-side mirror was left behind at the wreck site.

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol would not confirm that detail but said investigators have located a suspect vehicle.

No one has yet been charged in the case.