Raleigh man charged in hit-and-run that killed Warren teen

Corey Champion, 28, of 3525 Dewing Drive, was charged with felony hit-and-run, misdemeanor death by motor vehicle and driving with license revoked. He was released after posting a $10,000 bond.

Cody Flowers, 15, was walking along northbound U.S. Highway 1 in Norlina, returning home from a friend's house,on May 19 when a vehicle crossed the center line, struck him and didn't stop, leaving him on the side of the highway, authorities said.

Flowers suffered several skull fractures and a broken right arm in the crash and was in a medically induced coma at Duke University Hospital in Durham for three days before dying.

A driver-side mirror was found at the wreck site.

"There's no way that he could have known what hit him," said Flowers' mother, Susan Walker. "I really want the person who did this to tell me the truth of what happened. Regardless of the outcome, I really want the truth of what happened."

Champion declined to comment Monday. His driving record includes a 2005 conviction for reckless driving and a 2008 conviction for driving while impaired.

Walker said she passes the spot where her son was hit almost daily. An impromptu memorial of flowers and personal mementos has sprung up there.

"Every day, it's as if I see him lying here," she said as she clutched the clothes he was wearing the night he was run over. "It's not just a mother's son. It's a mother's best friend. It's a mother's companion, and I'm pretty lost trying to figure out what to do."