Woman seriously injured in Lawrence hit-and-run
LAWRENCE, Ind. (WISH) – Lawrence police have tracked down the suspect who they believe hit a pedestrian Wednesday morning and then took off.
It happened around 6 a.m. on Post Road near Pendleton Pike.
Police aren’t identifying the suspect but say she is special needs. She told police that she was driving the car. Police haven’t said why she didn’t wait on authorities to arrive before she left the scene. They say the woman has a valid drivers license. She has not been arrested. They’re working with prosecutors to determine what, if any, charges she will face.
Exon gas station owner Bally Shermar witnessed the accident from his surveillance system, “I feel so bad when I saw that she got hit by a car and they stopped for awhile. Then, they took off. But there was people sitting there trying to turn on Post Road.”
In the video, you can see the woman crossing Post Road. Then, you see a vehicle go through the intersection. The SUV stops for about 15 seconds. You see the hazard lights go on, then you see the driver take off.
“People, if somebody got hit by a car, they need to stop and call police and take care of the situation. Even it it’s not his fault. He needs to call the police and take care of the situation,” said Shermar.
This isn’t the first hit and run crash in Lawrence. Not even two months ago less than half a mile away, Mervin Smith was on his bicycle when he was hit and killed along Pendleton Pike. Police arrested the driver. Smith was on of Shemar’s regular customers.
“When I saw that I feel bad, because one of my customer’s got killed a couple months ago. I don’t know her. I haven’t seen her face yet, but maybe she comes here too, you know,” he said.
With two hit and runs, police want drivers to remember that accidents happen.
“We don’t know what the circumstances were here. Every situation is different. But what is not necessarily different are the actions after. Accidents happen. It’s what a person does in the aftermath that really makes a difference,” said Captain Gary Woodruff of the Lawrence Police Department.
The victim, who police have not identified, is in critical condition. She was taken to Methodist Hospital and immediately underwent surgery. More surgeries will likely be necessary.
