Driver ran over man, then put him in car, NC cops say. He’s charged in his death

A “thoughtful” 23-year-old man was found dead in the back seat of a car in North Carolina, officials said.

Now, almost a year after the man’s death, a driver is accused of hiding his body. The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said Chase Oliver Martin hit the man with his car, put him inside and drove off.

Deputies in a news release didn’t list attorney information for Martin, who was charged Jan. 18 with felony concealment of death.

The case dates to March 10, when a call from the Winston-Salem area led the sheriff’s office to the body of 23-year-old Tyler Joseph Burdi. Deputies learned Martin and Burdi had been in that same area together but got separated.

Then as Martin was leaving, deputies said he “accidentally struck” Burdi with a car. The driver is accused of not “seeking medical attention” and reportedly continued to drive off with Martin in the car.

The sheriff’s office said Burdi’s body was found in the car when Martin tried to drive back to the scene.

After deputies conducted an investigation, Martin was taken into custody Jan. 29 and given a $10,000 bond. The 25-year-old Yadkinville resident has a court date in February.

Meanwhile, Burdi is remembered in an online obituary as a Winston-Salem-area man who had his life ahead of him.

“Tyler was a kind, sensitive and thoughtful soul who will be missed and remembered by the many lives he touched,” the post on the Affordable Cremations of Winston-Salem website said. “As a young man with great promise, he was taken from us much to soon.”

The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office didn’t share additional information with McClatchy News on Jan. 31, citing an ongoing investigation.

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