CLEVELAND — Cleveland police are working to identify the driver that hit a pedestrian on Saturday afternoon in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood before fleeing the scene. The victim, an 18-year-old woman, who narrowly avoided serious injury, suffered a concussion and severe bruising.
The hit-skip happened shortly before 2pm on Saturday near the intersection of Broadview Road and Valley Road. The victim, 18-year-old Brianna Bowens, had the right-of-way while walking eastbound in the crosswalk toward Valley Road. As she approached the middle of the crosswalk, the unknown driver, who had actually turned into opposing lanes of traffic, plowed directly into Bowens, causing her to flip in the air and fall onto the asphalt.
The suspect never appears to slow down as he fled the scene, according to surveillance video capturing the incident.
Other drivers and people walking in the area then rushed to the scene and moved Bowens out of the roadway.
“I got a call from Metro Hospital saying that she had been hit. It was shocking,” said Angelique Smith, Bowens’ mother. “She’s doing fine. She’s a little shook up. She was talking about how she can’t cross the street now because somebody is going to hit her.”
Smith said her daughter suffered a concussion, severe bruising to her leg as well as a sprained ankle but is expected to otherwise make a full recovery. Bowens’ spent several hours in the hospital on Saturday before being discharged later that night.
The suspect’s vehicle is described as a red, mid-2000s era Toyota Corolla with a black or dark blue hood. Surveillance video shows the suspect’s vehicle as having a light brown or beige-colored front driver’s side quarter panel.
Smith believes that her daughter avoided more serious injuries because her fall was cushioned by her book bag before impact. Bowens had been walking to a friend’s house for a Halloween sleepover.
“To hit some person and not care is just ridiculous. [Police] need to find who he is and get him off the road because he does not need to have a license,” Smith said. “He needs to turn himself in. Thank God she was okay. He needs to do the right thing and turn himself in.”
Anyone with information on the identity of the driver is asked to contact the Cleveland Division of Police's hit-skip unit at (216) 623-5191. CPD's Second District can be reached at (216) 623-5200.
