Pemberton Man Run Over

A Pemberton man was critically injured in a hit-and-run accident outside his apartment Saturday night.

Police said Chun S. Chang, 48, was lying in the middle of the road on Westhampton Street when a car ran over him and sped away.

Police said they are not sure what prompted the victim to lie down in the middle of the street. Several witnesses tried to urge Chang to get out of the street, but before they could convince him, a sport utility vehicle ran over him and did not stop.

"We had a report there was a man in the roadway, and at some point, we believe the man laid down and he was struck by a vehicle -- a white SUV -- that left the scene," said Chief Joseph Conlin, of the Pemberton Borough police.

An ambulance crew on the way to a different accident drove up to the scene around 10:20 Saturday and contacted the Burlington County Communications Center. Chang was airlifted to Cooper Hospital.

A friend said that Chang, a tile setter and vinyl installer, had open-heart surgery over a year ago and hadn't worked for a local flooring company since that time.

Prior to the collision, police said Chang, who is also diabetic, had been attending his own birthday party at the nearby Pine Meadow apartment complex. He had been drinking alcohol, which would have had a big effect on him making good decisions, nurses told NBC 10 News.

Authorities believe that the driver of the white SUV made a decision that broke the law.

"They should have stopped, and if they're watching this today -- if they were involved -- they need to contact us," Conlin said.

Chang remained in critical condition at Cooper Hospital Monday afternoon.

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