Arrest made in hit-and-run that killed Bragg soldier

McCartha Hawkins, 60, of the 5700 block of Aftonshire Drive, was charged with felony hit and run, misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and failure to yield the right of way.

Sgt. Victor Jose Sencion, 30, was riding a motorcycle on Raeford Road at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday when a pickup turned in front of him at the Revere Street intersection, police said. He was thrown from his motorcycle and was struck by the truck, which drove off without stopping, police said.

Sencion, a communications expert assigned to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, died late Sunday at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, police said.

He had graduated from the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare School about two months ago, officials said. Before that, he served one tour of duty in Iraq.

Witnesses described the pickup as a tan or champagne-colored Chevrolet Silverado. Police canvassed the area Monday, looking for trucks matching the description.

"They knew they hit somebody. I would imagine there is some kind of damage to the front end of that vehicle," said Theresa Chance, spokeswoman for the Fayetteville Police Department.

Investigators received an tip that led them to Hawkins on Monday afternoon.

The collision came a day after a two-vehicle collision on Reilly Road that saw a motorcyclist airlifted to a hospital for treatment.

Chance said police often see a spike in motorcycle crashes when warm weather arrives.

"We have a lot of motorcyclists out now. The weather was beautiful this weekend," she said. "You need to use the same kind of precaution you use with somebody in a car. Just be careful."