An Auburndale man is facing charges in a December hit-and-run that critically injured a man who had fallen off an ATV.

Brandon Fipps, 20, was arrested Thursday on one count of leaving the scene of a crash involving injury in connection with the Dec. 4. crash.

According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Charles Paul Van Duyn, 28, of Polk City, was riding a four-wheeled ATV south on Berkley Road near Rubens Circle when it appeared as though he swerved to the right and began to slide sideways.

At some point, Van Duyn was thrown from the ATV and landed on the northbound lane, just next to the centerline. Van Duyn was then hit by what witnesses describe as an early 1990s model Chevrolet S10 pick-up truck, investigators said.

Van Duyn was taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center in critical condition. Deputies said he has only partially recovered from the significant head injuries he received when he was run over. He has only limited function and will never fully recover, doctors say.

Investigators said they received several tips as a result of media and social media coverage, and that many of those tips indicated Fipps was the driver of the suspect truck.

On Dec. 9, deputies went to Fipps home to interview him. Deputies said Fipps told them he was driving on Berkley Road at the time, and that he ran over a person lying in the road. Fipps told deputies he stopped and approached the victim, but did not try to render aid, then went back to his truck and called 911. He then said he drove off after seeing approaching lights and sirens.

Deputies said Fipps also told them his girlfriend was with him at the time, but deputies said that when they interviewed her, her version of events deviated from his in a few ways. She said Fipps never left the truck, didn't approach the victim and didn't call 911, and that they did flee the scene when they saw the lights and heard the sirens.

The girlfriend also said they knew they ran over someone but did not offer to render aid or contact law enforcement, even after they knew the sheriff's office was looking for suspects, deputies said.

Fipps' truck was seized by deputies and they sent DNA samples from the truck to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Deputies said the analysis indicated that the DNA found on Fipps' truck matches that of Van Duyn.

A warrant was obtained for Fipps' arrest, and he was taken into custody without incident. He was booked into the Polk County Jail on $5,000 bond.