A man driving an SUV ran down a construction crew member on River Road, an event that led to the driver’s arrest.

Around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Akeem Javal Williams, 23, of Washington, was travelling east on River Road, near Christian Service Camp Road, when his vehicle crossed the lane of oncoming traffic and ran off the opposite side of the road, hitting a supervisor with Lee Electrical Construction, according to North Carolina State Highway Patrol Trooper Joseph Howard. Electrical crews were working in the area at the time of the incident.

Howard said Williams was traveling approximately 45 mph and after his SUV hit the supervisor, the vehicle continued on and hit a light pole. The man injured was identified by witnesses as “Doc” Seymour. Seymour was transported to Vidant Beaufort Hospital then later airlifted to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, according to witnesses.

At the time of the incident, witnesses said Williams threw a firearm out the window of the SUV, a statement that was later confirmed by law enforcement.

“A weapon was recovered in a search of the area,” said Maj. Kenneth Watson, spokesman for the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, adding that additional items were seized from Williams’ vehicle during a subsequent search.

“There’s a follow up investigation on items that were seized,” Watson said. “We should have more on that in a day or two.”

Howard said Williams was not injured during the wreck and there was no indication he was impaired at the time of the incident, though the Highway Patrol did take a blood sample to be analyzed at the state lab. Williams was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and was in the custody of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday afternoon.

It is unclear whether the incident was deliberate or an accident.