'We're Still Praying,' 22-Year-Old Medford Woman Seriously Hurt In Hit-And-Run Crash
MEDFORD (CBS) - Brooke Rosselle is in the ICU at Mass General Hospital. Her father says she has serious head trauma from a Saturday night hit and run.
That news is hitting hard at the "The Dance Studio" in Medford, where young girls rehearsed Monday evening in a room featuring several pictures of Brooke performing on the wall.
"I'm floored," says instructor Amy Famiglietti. "I just can't believe something like this happened to such an amazingly decent, good person."
She's talking about Saturday night at around 11:30, when the 22-year-old Rosselle was getting out of an Uber in front of her home on Harvard Street in Medford, and a car plowed into her from behind.
Neighbors who heard her boyfriend's screams scrambled out to help and call 911.
"And it felt so awful to watch," says neighbor Nakita Sconsoni, "and know that I couldn't do anything about it."
"We had a hard time getting to sleep that night," says neighbor Susan Keating. "We were praying that hopefully she's going to be okay and we're still praying for that."
But the incident was made even more horrific when the driver who hit Brooke climbed out of his car -- looked over the scene -- and then drove off.
"You have to be a certain kind of evil," says dance instructor Famiglietti, "to care so little about human life -- to leave them on the road."
That driver did turn himself in to Medford Police 24 hours later, but he has not yet been named, or charged.
Back on the dance floor where Brooke once shined, her former teacher is hoping some positive vibes will help her turn the corner.
"We're making cards for Brooke," says Famiglietti, "and we're going to send them to the hospital. We want to do something. It feels awful to just sit and wait."
In a post on Facebook, Brooke's father thanks police and paramedics for their quick response and urges parents to tell their kids they love them – every day.