You may have heard by now that a 37-year-old woman was run over and killed on Baxter near the Phoenix Hill Tavern on Friday night.
Somehow, the hit-and-run driver emerged from the busy intersection with no one catching the license number of the vehicle. That seems hard to imagine, but a witness has some forward with a better description of the car, a 1998-2000 white Pontiac Trans Sport van with gray bumpers.
It happened about 7 p.m. on Friday.
Here's a note left on Facebook by citizen Kyle Riggs, a witness:
Friday night, I was driving my 12 year-old sister to the movies. We were driving along Baxter Ave. It was very dark. I saw the van in front of me swerve sharply to the left and then bounce over something. At the same time, I saw something fly out from under the vehicle. I realized that it was a boot. I hit my brakes and saw what they ran over. It was a woman. The van didn't slow down. When I looked back to the van, it was too far away to see its license plate. I put my flashers on and jumped out of the car, telling my sister to stay put. Another woman on the sidewalk ran over to the victim and told me to call 911. I did. Thankfully, there were two vehicles of guys with neon vests that got out and blocked off traffic in both directions. She was lying on her side in the middle of the road. She was unconscious. The police arrived and asked me to wait for the investigator. My sister didn't see the vehicle bounce over that woman's body. Thank goodness. It's the image I can't get out of my head.
The police officer told me that she had a 9 year old child undergoing treatment for cancer. The 37 year old woman's name was Nuril Papapietro. I found out today that she died on Friday.
I didn't want to talk to the press, but I wanted as many people as possible to be on the lookout for this van.
IT IS A 1998–2000 MODEL WHITE PONTIAC TRANS SPORT VAN WITH GRAY BUMPERS. The front of the vehicle was damaged by the accident. It was likely the front left side. Please call 574-LMPD if you see this vehicle.
Surely someone out there has seen the vehicle, which must look a little bit like the one pictured here. Call 574-LMPD with information.
My gosh, that's awful. She has a 9 year old daughter battling cancer. :( I hope someone has some kind of information on the vehicle. Sad to hear news like this.
to Big Tim Johnny...while I understand that this may very well have been an accident I also believe that it's well established (without dispute at this point) that it WAS his/her/whomever's fault that she died. SHE WAS RUN OVER by this vehicle. i'm unclear as to where your confusion on that is. Not to mention you were the very first to comment here and i quote "GET THAT SON OF A BITCH!!!" was your response.
I'm not the one flip flopping on my opinion of how the person WHO RAN HER OVER and didn't bother to stop should be viewed. You should make a decision and stick with it, and while you're at it erase prior comments that don't correlate if you do not want to invite criticism on said flipping, and if you were just being 'smart' with your first comment you should know better than to think someone isn't going to take it that way. Just sayin'
I absolutely understand the events as they have been described by a witness (I wasn't there). As I stated I DO understand how this could have been a tragic accident and most likely would have been handled as such if they had bothered stayed to explain instead of running away which may very well indicate they had reason to.
Last I checked 'hit and run' was a felony, whether you killed someone or not, and should be treated as such.
Its more the idea that she got left than it was an accident. With the driver gone, who is to pay for medical bills and the funeral? I'm guessing that would be the family of the victim who is caring for the child, rather than the persons insurance company.
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You may have heard by now that a 37-year-old woman was run over and killed on Baxter near the Phoenix Hill Tavern on Friday night.
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Rick Redding