Hit and Run Victim

**RyCy04** · 11-21-2012, 09:09 AM

A very good friend's sister was the victim of a hit and run while she was jogging. I feel pretty helpless but figured this would be a good place to send the story with the number of Des Moines area members on CF. Let police know if you see any vehicle resembling the description in the story.
Left for dead: Runner hit by car | Local News - KCCI Home

**ianoconnor** · 11-21-2012, 09:12 AM

Will be praying for your friend's sister. That's horrible.

**CykoAGR** · 11-21-2012, 09:16 AM

That is horrible. Sounds like she is fortunate to be alive.

Im not a lawyer but the driver of the car should be charged with the most aggressive charges possible (Attempted murder?)

Thats really chicken @#$( to hit a person and just keep driving.

**wartknight** · 11-21-2012, 09:19 AM

I'm guessing it was someone who wasn't licensed to be behind the wheel in the first place.

**Boxerdaddy** · 11-21-2012, 10:31 AM

I hope they find the person(s) responsible. Glad she's on the road to recovery and although her injuries are serious....really happy they aren't life threatening.

I'd be contacting every bodyshop in town letting them know about this. And pulling every car over that has a missing grill.

**Angie** · 11-21-2012, 10:32 AM

I'm so sorry, what an awful situation.

**chuckd4735** · 11-21-2012, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by CykoAGR

That is horrible. Sounds like she is fortunate to be alive.

Im not a lawyer but the driver of the car should be charged with the most aggressive charges possible (Attempted murder?)

Thats really chicken @#$( to hit a person and just keep driving.

Its a horrible situation. This happened to my dad a long time ago. At about midnight one Sunday night, some guy drove down our rather quiet residential street, and was throwing empty beer bottles out the window. My dad went out into the street to try and flag the guy down to see what the heck was going on and get him to clean up the mess. The guy ended up hitting the gas pedal, swerving and hitting my dad, and took off. My dad got lucky and came away with just a few scratches and bruises.

They ended up catching the guy in Iowa City (where he attended college) the next night, and they were only able to charge him with leaving the scene of an accident and littering. Since my dad went into the street, they had no way to charge him with anything more serious.

**BKLYNCyclone** · 11-21-2012, 10:47 AM

Glad she will recover. For those of us that run on streets, please, please remember to run against traffic. (wearing reflective clothing is good too!) I don't know what your friend's sister situation was (she could have been running facing traffic), but the circumstance is pretty typical for those that run/walk with traffic instead of against it.

My sister-in-law was killed 3 years ago while jogging with her 3-month old daughter on a residential street in a St. Paul suburb. Amazingly, my niece survived with only a scratch (she was in a car seat, in a jogging stroller which absorbed much of the impact).

Two, very avoidable factors played a part in the tragedy. First, she was running with traffic instead of against, and was hit from behind. And second, the driver had failed to defrost his windshield fully before leaving (in a hurry on his way to school). A lot of us are guilty of both circumstances at least a few times in our lives. This is something that is easily avoidable, so I hope everyone here will take a few extra moments to let their windshields defrost, or just remember to jog facing traffic instead of with your back to it.

**Me State** · 11-21-2012, 10:49 AM

I'm not blaming the victim, but people need to stop running in the street especially at night. There is a reason the streets are lined with sidewalks.

**aauummm** · 11-21-2012, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by RyCy04

A very good friend's sister was the victim of a hit and run while she was jogging. I feel pretty helpless but figured this would be a good place to send the story with the number of Des Moines area members on CF. Let police know if you see any vehicle resembling the description in the story.
Left for dead: Runner hit by car | Local News - KCCI Home

So it looks like they are looking for a silver Toyota sedan with a missing front grill. Also it was headed east on Douglas Avenue from 56th street. I would guess that the car is now hidden in someone's back yard or in a garage somewhere in the neighborhood east of 56th and Douglas. Hopefully the car will be spotted by either the police or by an alert neighbor.

**00clone** · 11-21-2012, 11:46 AM

Originally Posted by Me State

I'm not blaming the victim, but people need to stop running in the street especially at night. There is a reason the streets are lined with sidewalks.

There's a time and a place for everything...but this is probably not either, considering the circumstances. Not wrong in content, but timing and placement.

**BKLYNCyclone** · 11-21-2012, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by Me State

I'm not blaming the victim, but people need to stop running in the street especially at night. There is a reason the streets are lined with sidewalks.

In the suburb where my sister-in-law was killed there are no sidewalks, anywhere.

Furthermore, when is one supposed to run this time of year. It's still dark when I go to work, and it's dark when I get home. Pretty sure my bosses wouldn't be happy with me running at noon and not having enough time to shower afterward.

**Clonefan94** · 11-21-2012, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by 00clone

There's a time and a place for everything...but this is probably not either, considering the circumstances. Not wrong in content, but timing and placement.

I kind of disagree, call me an ***, ban me, whatever, but this brings to light, imo, a growing problem, especially in my community. People jogging of all hours of the night and early morning, in pitch black, in the middle of the street. OK, let's find the driver first, sure and charge them for a hit and run, but there is more to this than just a bad, dumb driver.

I feel terrible for this person, no one should ever get hit by a car, especially in a hit and run incident, but this is a good time for people to realize that it's less likely you will get hit jogging if you are doing it on the sidewalk as opposed to the street. I've never understood why jogging in the street is considered accepted behavior, if you are in an area with sidewalks.

**1100011CS** · 11-21-2012, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by Clonefan94

I kind of disagree, call me an ***, ban me, whatever, but this brings to light, imo, a growing problem, especially in my community. People jogging of all hours of the night and early morning, in pitch black, in the middle of the street. OK, let's find the driver first, sure and charge them for a hit and run, but there is more to this than just a bad, dumb driver.

I feel terrible for this person, no one should ever get hit by a car, especially in a hit and run incident, but this is a good time for people to realize that it's less likely you will get hit jogging if you are doing it on the sidewalk as opposed to the street. I've never understood why jogging in the street is considered accepted behavior, if you are in an area with sidewalks.

Key statement there. Not every neighborhood has sidewalks on every street. I have to run almost 2 miles on the road before I get to the bike bath.

**Me State** · 11-21-2012, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by BKLYNCyclone

In the suburb where my sister-in-law was killed there are no sidewalks, anywhere.

Furthermore, when is one supposed to run this time of year. It's still dark when I go to work, and it's dark when I get home. Pretty sure my bosses wouldn't be happy with me running at noon and not having enough time to shower afterward.

If the city doesn't have sidewalks then there is no other option and all drivers should be well aware of that. Des Moines has plenty of sidewalks.

I'm not saying people shouldn't run outside at night. I'm saying runners need to understand that it is sometimes difficult for drivers to see them and they need to be very careful.

These incidents are very sad but also usually avoidable.