Thursday night, a bicyclist was struck by a vehicle on Jackson Landing Rd., resulting in the victim being airlifted to Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg for treatment and the driver being arrested for DUI and leaving the scene of an accident.

Picayune Police Assistant Chief Jeremy Magri said the incident occurred Thursday night at about 8 p.m. At about that time, an officer on patrol noticed a red Ford Focus in a ditch in the area of Jackson Landing Road and South Beech Street.

The driver was not at the scene.

As the officer approached the vehicle, he noticed that a man, later identified as Nathan Bonin, 63, 2602 Jackson Landing Rd., Picayune, was underneath the vehicle.

The officer called for an ambulance and fire rescue vehicle to be dispatched to the scene, Magri said.

Once firefighters arrived, the vehicle was removed from Bonin and he was later transported by helicopter to Forrest General Hospital for treatment.

Magri said officers then began searching for the driver, who had reportedly been seen fleeing the scene on foot. A short time later, 20-year-old Jada Loftin, of 2411 Laura Dr., Picayune, arrived at the Picayune Police Department and identified herself as the driver.

While speaking with Loftin, officers suspected she was under the influence of an intoxicating substance, and was subsequently taken to Highland Community Hospital where she consented to blood tests before being arrested for felony aggravated DUI and felony leaving the scene of an accident with injuries, Magri said.

While the extent of Bonin’s injuries are unknown, Magri said that officers were informed that Bonin was in stable condition as of Friday afternoon.

Magri said further investigation into the accident determined that Loftin was eastbound on Jackson Landing Road when she allegedly struck the bicyclist on the shoulder of the road and fled the scene on foot.