Police said Monday they expect to make an arrest shortly in a hit-and-run that has left a college student on life support in Athens.
Ms. Emily Bowman, 19, of Woodstock, was critically injured over the weekend after being hit by a pickup truck, according to Athens-Clarke County police.
The incident happened at 3:05 a.m. Saturday while she was walking eastbound on Oak Street between Carr and Oconee streets, police said.
“She was walking in the grass, off the roadway,” police Lt. Keith Morris said. “A vehicle traveling eastbound on Oak Street left the roadway and struck the female from behind.”
The driver fled the scene after the incident in a 1997 red Mazda pickup that was located a short time later in the area.
It’s unclear if the driver attempted to stop before or after hitting Ms. Bowman, a Kennesaw State student. But police said he had to know he had hit someone.
“Nobody struck a human being like that and didn’t realize it happened,” Athens-Clarke County police Sgt. Von Anderson told Channel 2 Action News.
They believe the driver is a 22-year-old Cartersville man who is not cooperating with authorities, Channel 2 reported. It’s unclear if he’s the owner of the truck.
“I can’t imagine the conscience of someone who has been involved in something like this not being willing to help that family,” Sgt. Von Anderson said.
Lt. Don Eckert, commander of the Athens-Clarke police Traffic Unit, told the Athens Banner-Herald that he expects an arrest shortly.
Ms. Bowman was taken to Athens Regional Medical Center where she has since been placed on life support.
Mr. Dale Bowman told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that his daughter went to Athens to celebrate a friend’s birthday when she was hit.
“They rushed her into surgery,” he said. “She’s been on a ventilator since.” He said doctors removed a portion of Ms. Bowman’s skull to help relieve swelling. “She’s in really bad shape,” he said.
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