Virginia woman arrested in hit-and-run that left 14-year-old boy seriously injured

GLOUCESTER COUNTY, Va. - Virginia State Police have arrested a woman they say seriously injured a 14-year-old in a hit-and-run over the weekend.

Police say around 12:25 a.m. on Nov. 4, the teen was pushing his dirt bike down Benn's Church Boulevard in the town of Smithfield when an unknown vehicle struck him and fled the scene of the crash. 

The boy was taken to Riverside Regional Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

State Police reached out to the Isle of Wight Sheriff's Office as well as nearby Suffolk Police to try to find the car involved. Detectives later found a 2019 Nissan Rogue with a Virginia registration that matched the description of the suspect vehicle in the area of the crash. 

They discovered that the car was registered to 31-year-old Chanice Lynnette Atkinson of Gloucester County and the search for Atkinson began.

After several unsuccessful attempts to locate the vehicle, state police contacted Newport News Police and Hampton Police to help find the owner. 

On Nov. 5, 2023, state police located the vehicle with extensive front-end damage. The vehicle was seized and Atkinson was arrested the next day for felony hit and run. She was taken to Western Tidewater Regional Jail and her bond was set at $3,500. 

Police say this continues to be an ongoing criminal investigation.