Man is Charged with Hit and Run After Death of Asen Zahariev in Corolla, NC

Many Eastern Europeans arrive at the Outer Banks of North Carolina in the summer to work, make money for their families back home and sometimes to get some surfing in.

Tragically, one 22-year-old Bulgarian exchange student won’t be returning home to talk about his experiences after he was hit and killed by a driver who was later charged with hit-and-run on Highway 12 in Corolla.

N.C. Highway Patrol identified the victim as 22-year-old Asen Zahariev from Bulgaria. My thoughts as a North Carolina personal injury lawyer are with this young man’s family at this tragic time.

WAVY.com reported on his death at about 11 p.m. on Tuesday when he was hit as he walked along the shoulder of Highway 12. Friends told the TV channel he was living and working in Corolla in the summer at worked at the local Harris Teeter and Dunkin Donuts.

Investigators said the driver who hit the student left the scene. The next morning a 37-year-old man visited the fire department in Corolla. He told authorities he thought he had hit a deer the night before, while driving alone in a 2000 Chevy Malibu.

Sheriff Susan Johnson with the Currituck County Sheriff’s Office said N.C. Highway Patrol troopers have charged him a class F felony of hit and run, causing serious injury or death. The report said the man’s blood was sent for testing in Raleigh, N.C., and if he tests positive for any illegal drugs, he will receive additional charges.

If you lose a loved one to a hit-and-run driver, you may be eligible for compensation from the driver’s insurance policy by filing a wrongful death lawsuit. Our personal injury lawyers represent families in North Carolina and Virginia. Call me today for a free consultation at 757.455.0077.