Medal of Honor recipient Kyle Carpenter charged with hit-and-run

According to Columbia South Carolina Police, William Kyle Carpenter turned himself in Thursday and is charged with hit-and-run and making an improper left turn on December 8.

Heath officials say the pedestrian suffered abrasions and a leg injury and is expected to make a full recovery.

He was booked at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center and released on bond.

A review of surveillance tapes and witness statements revealed Carpenter allegedly struck a pedestrian who was crossing Assembly Street at the crosswalk on the way to the USC Strom Thurmond Wellness Center. Carpenter reportedly pulled over and flipped on his hazard lights after the collision, but left when the pedestrian moved to the sidewalk.

Carpenter received the Medal of Honor in June 2014 for his actions in Afghanistan in November 2010.

At one point, one of the enemy combatants through a grenade that landed near one of Carpenter’s comrades, Lance Cpl Nick Eufrazio, and he through himself on the bomb to protect the friend. He was treated by medical personnel at the scene but declined transportation to the hospital.

Police said Carpenter cooperated with the investigation and was not believed to have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the incident.

He was medically retired from the Marines and is studying at the University of South Carolina, The State newspaper reported. He required nearly 40 surgeries and multiple skin grafts, leaving him with a prosthetic eye and a new jaw and teeth, President Barack Obama said at the Medal of Honor ceremony.

Since receiving the Medal of Honor, Carpenter has taken a high national profile, meeting with prominent figures and speaking to groups around the country.