PENDER COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA DEPUTY INJURED IN ACCIDENT

A pile of metal is what's left of a Pender County sheriff's deputy's patrol car. Authorities say Deputy Michael Lewis was hit late Saturday night by a drunk driver. Deputy Lewis was pulled over on Highway 17 in Hampstead to assist some people who had been in a wreck.

The impact from the collision crushed the back of the patrol car and tore the driver's seat from the car. Francisco Alberto Cruz, 44, is charged with the incident. Deputy Lewis was later released from the hospital. Cruz was released from jail Sunday morning on a $500 bond.