NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A man is in critical condition after he was hit by an SUV Sunday night in Downtown Norfolk. Police say a Chesapeake man has been charged.
When police arrived at the intersection of Granby Street and Plume Street just before 5 p.m., they found the unidentified man lying in the road.
Preliminary investigation has revealed a driver of a Honda SUV lost control of his car and hit the man as he was standing outside a restaurant.
The driver was taken into custody. Police say John H. Vanderwilt, of Chesapeake, has been charged with driving under the influence. He is due in court Wednesday morning.
An official with Dollar Tree confirmed Vanderwilt is an employee of the company. The following statement from Dollar Tree was sent to 10 On Your Side:
We can confirm that John Vanderwilt is an employee at our company. Our thoughts are with the individuals involved and their families.”
Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint in Norfolk posted on their Facebook page that the restaurant would be closed for the rest of the day Sunday because of the crash.
Witnesses of the accident tell 10 On Your Side it was the craziest thing they have ever seen.
“I was like I hope the man’s okay, but at first I thought it was like an actual movie like something is going like a stunt. But when I actually saw it was real I was like I hope the man gets help. It was a big crowd,” said witness Chris Jones.
Management at Jack Brown’s tells 10 On Your Side the victim was an outstanding employee. The company’s regional management is headed into town to help the employees cope with this tragedy.
Stay on WAVY.com for updates.