Family injured in hit-and-run caught on camera
WASHINGTON - D.C. police recovered the suspect’s SUV, but no arrests have been made yet after a hit-and-run was caught on camera in the Capitol Hill neighborhood last week.
An area camera captured the moment a mother, her ten-year-old daughter, six-year-old son and 15-month-old family dog were struck by a dark-colored Nissan Armada, as the SUV accelerated into an intersection with the Northeast D.C. family already in the crosswalk. An SUV tire appears to pin the six-year-old boy.
The Capitol Hill mother told FOX 5 the whole experience has been traumatizing.
"I think the hardest part is going and replaying what happened over and over in my mind and thinking through what I could’ve done differently. So that plagues my thoughts," said the Capitol Hill mother, who asked she and her family not be named while the suspect is still out there. "Having somebody hit you and your children and your dog and then take off is a very unsettling feeling. So I’m not exactly sure what possesses somebody to just flee the scene."
The mother tells FOX 5 that last Wednesday, October 4, she saw the suspect’s SUV and believed the SUV saw them. They entered into the crosswalk, which was redone to enhance safety. However, the SUV accelerated as the family was in the street and did not stop until the vehicle plowed into the family.
In a video of the incident, the boy and his sister and what appears to be the family’s 15-month-old Golden Doodle can all be seen getting knocked over.
The mother says she and others began yelling for the driver to back up, who does. At least two Good Samaritans are seen in the video going to the family’s aide. One Good Samaritan appears to be directing the SUV driver to pull over past the intersection – and it appears in the video that the driver is going to do so. But then he took off.
The six-year-old boy suffered a fractured foot, according to the mother. FOX 5 is also told the mom, daughter and the dog also suffered injuries.
D.C. Police are not confirming when and how they recovered the suspect’s Nissan SUV.
The video also shows a D.C. police officer arriving on the scene quickly. The police cruiser appears to then follow in the direction of the suspect vehicle. However, the mother involved tells FOX 5 the officer had returned, informing the family police are not allowed to get into a high-speed chase, according to D.C. Police policy.
The mother involved also told FOX 5 that police said that the suspect is a D.C. resident who was using an out-of-state tag.
The mom is hoping there is some jail time if the man is arrested.
D.C. Police are asking for the Good Samaritan who was seen running after the suspect’s fleeing SUV to contact MPD’s First District. They are hoping to speak with that witness.
This year, D.C. Council Transportation Committee Chair Charles Allen introduced legislation to crack down on reckless drivers in the city. That legislation just saw a public hearing this week, but it’s not clear yet how any of these measures could have impacted this hit-and-run.