Authorities said 59-year-old Harold Gilbert Pope and his girlfriend, 58-year old Edith Mae Underwood, of Autryville, were driving along Highway 24 around 1 a.m. Tuesday near Stedman.
The couple claims a man standing on the side of the road, picked up a large rock and threw it through the windshield of their 1991 Lexus.
Authorities said the rock hit the steering wheel, bounced off and struck Edith Pope in the forehead, cracking her skull and causing additional serious injuries.
After the car stopped, Pope told investigators he remembers a man coming towards his car claiming the person responsible for throwing the rock was standing behind the vehicle. Pope said he confronted the suspect and a fight ensued.
Despite her injuries, Underwood was able to get out of the vehicle, pick up a rock and throw it at the suspect causing him to turn and run away.
The couple drove to a nearby convenience store on Maxwell Road to call for help. Both were taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. Their conditions are unknown at this time.
Authorities said the man is described as a black male in his early to mid-20s. He is about 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall, weighing between 140 and 190 pounds. He has a medium complexion and is bald.
The man was last seen wearing no shirt with brown shorts with what appeared to be a T-shirt tied around his waist. He was also wearing boots.
Anyone who has any information about the case is asked to call the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office at
(910) 323-1500
.
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