Man charged following death of 7-year-old girl in Hickory crash
40-year-old seriously injured but later released
HICKORY, N.C. (WBTV) - A 7-year-old girl has died days after being hit by a car in downtown Hickory.
Police said the crash happened at 8:15 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26, along Government Avenue Southwest. Two people, a young girl and a 40-year-old man, were hit by a Toyota Camry driven by 78-year-old Donald Gene Bledsole.
The man was seriously injured but later released from the hospital.
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The girl was taken to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. She died from her injuries on March 2, according to a family friend.
Bledsole was arrested on March 4 and charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle and cited with two counts of failure to reduce speed and one count of driving left of center.
A GoFundMe was created by a family friend following the young girl’s death. Her name was not released by police.
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