Police: Intoxicated driver nearly hits pedestrians, crashes in Kill Devil Hills

A Kitty Hawk man faces several charges after an incident in Kill Devil Hills Friday. [Kari Pugh photo]

A 40-year-old Kitty Hawk man faces multiple charges after a Friday incident that began on Bay Drive in Kill Devil Hills and ended in a crash near the Dare Centre shopping center.

At 6:33 p.m. Kill Devil Hills officers were dispatched to a reckless driver call on Bay Drive near 4th Street. The driver, later identified as Ralph Clayton Barlow, 40, of Kitty Hawk, was operating a 2002 white Chevrolet Silverado and ran off the road near Bay Drive and 4th Street, Kill Devil Hills police said in a news release. His vehicle nearly struck pedestrians using the multipurpose path in the neighborhood before crashing into a tree, police said.

Barlow then drove away from the scene of the collision and was intercepted within ¾ of a mile at U.S. 158 and 4th Street, the release said. After initially stopping for the officer, Barlow then fled, traveling south on U.S. 158. He ran off the road again near the Dare Centre (less than a mile from the initial stop), according to police.

The vehicle went airborne before hitting the wooden bulkhead of a retention pond. Barlow was found unresponsive and transported to Outer Banks Hospital for his injuries.

“There was no active police pursuit in this incident,” the release said. “After leaving the initial stop, offers were still converging on Mr. Barlow at the time he crashed a short distance later.”

A blood test was taken at the hospital and a determination of Barlow’s impairment level will be made after testing. Due to his medical situation Barlow not arrested at the hospital. He was charged with driving while impaired, resisting a public officer and hit and run.

This story originally appeared on OBXToday.com. Read More local stories here.