Raleigh fundraiser supports NC State student injured in hit-and-run crash

A Raleigh fundraiser Friday night turned a campus injury into a Wake County rally, as friends, family, coworkers and fraternity brothers packed North Street Beer Station to help NC State sophomore Brayden Bulger after a hit-and-run crash left him with a traumatic brain injury in South Carolina.

Bulger is 20 and studies finance at North Carolina State University. He was walking with friends on Hilton Head Island when a vehicle struck him near Dunnagans Alley on U.S. 278 around 1:50 a.m. Sunday, April 12, according to local coverage. South Carolina Highway Patrol troopers are still searching for the driver, and investigators have said they are looking for a silver or gray SUV with front-end damage.

The Raleigh benefit mattered because Bulger’s recovery is being carried by the same community that sees him every day. North Street Beer Station, where Bulger works, donated 15% of Friday night proceeds to help with medical bills, while online donors had already raised thousands more for his care. The fundraiser brought together people from several parts of his life in one place, showing how fast a Raleigh support network can mobilize when a student is hurt far from campus.

Bulger’s older brother, Mason Bulger, said the support has been overwhelming, and the family believes Brayden will appreciate it when he sees how many people have stepped forward. His Sigma Phi Epsilon brothers at NC State described him as smart, upbeat and positive, a portrait that matched the tone of the night, where the focus was as much on recovery as on relief.

There were also early signs of progress by Friday night. Bulger was responsive and sending Snapchats back to friends in Raleigh, a small but meaningful update after a week of fear and uncertainty. For Wake County, the case has become more than a distant crash in another state: it is a reminder that when an NC State student is seriously injured, the consequences land immediately in Raleigh classrooms, workplaces and living rooms.

The fundraiser has given Bulger’s supporters a way to help with mounting medical costs, but the investigation remains unfinished. Troopers still need to identify the driver who left the scene, and the search for the SUV tied to the crash is now as central to the story as the donations pouring in from Raleigh.