One Charged in Car Attack on Thompson Town Road; Victim Trapped and Critical

WHITEVILLE, NC — An automobile was used as a weapon in an alleged assault Monday morning that left one man trapped beneath a vehicle and critically injured, according to warrants and law enforcement reports.

Earl James Whitman Jr., 43, of 199 Fairfield Drive, Whiteville, was booked into the Columbus County Detention Center at 2:31 p.m. on Monday, September 21. Whitman is charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, and misdemeanor property damage.

According to incident reports, Columbus County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a property on Thompson Town Road at 11:32 a.m. regarding an active disturbance. En route, dispatch updated responding officers that a person was pinned beneath a car.

The N.C. State Highway Patrol, Chadbourn Fire and Rescue, Whiteville Rescue, AirLink, and sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene. Emergency crews extricated the victim, identified as Mickey Ray Duncan, 73, who sustained severe injuries. Duncan was airlifted to a regional trauma center, where he remains in critical condition.

Investigators allege Whitman intentionally drove a Chevrolet Cavalier into Duncan and a second victim, Jonathan Edward Sealey, 43. During the attack, the vehicle destroyed approximately $500 worth of livestock fencing belonging to Tony Hobbs.

Deputies and agents with the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) secured and processed the scene. Court records show Whitman has prior arrests in Columbus County for possession of crystal methamphetamine and a 2024 arson charge after allegedly burning furniture at his mother’s home.

Whitman is being held in the county jail under no bond.

All individuals named in this report are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Charges and case statuses may change as investigations and court proceedings continue.

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