North Carolina State University students are rallying behind a classmate after he was hurt in a crash days earlier in South Carolina.
Brayden Bulger, a sophomore at NC State, is in the hospital with serious injuries after he was hit by a car on Hilton Head. According to the South Carolina State Highway Patrol, the crash happened around 1:50 a.m. Sunday near Dunnagans Alley and the SUV they believe is involved drove away from the scene.
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Two of Bulger's friends, Justin Allen and Jackson Weglarz, said all three of them were in Hilton Head for a Sigma Phi fraternity formal and that he was crossing the street when he was hit.
They also said the accident "sounded like a gunshot," and the SUV that hit him was well over the speed limit.
"Everyone knows what 35 miles an hour looks like," Weglarz said. That was not 35 miles an hour."
While authorities are still searching for a suspect, Bulger's friends and classmates are rallying to support him. His fraternity hosted a car wash on Thursday, with proceeds going toward Bulger's recovery.
More than 50 cars showed up for the fundraiser. As of Thursday, a GoFundMe for Bulger has raised more than $50,000 for his recovery.
"He's a great guy, probably one of the most put-together kids that I know," Welgarz said. "I mean, no one deserves this, but especially not Brayden."
As of Thursday, no one is in custody for the hit-and-run, and troopers asked anyone in the Hilton Head area that weekend to be on the lookout for a grey or silver SUV with damage on the hood.
Troopers released a photo of the vehicle they believed hit Bulger on their Facebook page.
"I hope whoever it was comes forward," Justin Allen said.
Bulger's friends told WRAL News that they've been in contact with his family and he's made improvements in recent days.
"We've been in contact with his mom and dad, and they're so appreciative of everything that the whole Raleigh community has been doing," Allen said.
North Street Beer Station said a portion of the sales they make on Friday will be donated to Bulger, who worked at the bar. The bar will also have a limited release of t-shirts available, and proceeds from the shirts will go to Bulger.
"We'll be starting at 5 p.m., and a portion of sales throughout the day and night will go toward Brayden, with ways to help all night," the bar wrote on Facebook. "If you know him, care about him, or just want to show up, be there."