Detroit Mother Killed By Hit-And-Run Drivers While Helping Wheelchair-Bound Woman Cross Street
DETROTI (WWJ) - A Detroit family is demanding answers after their loved one was fatally struck by two hit-and-run drivers while trying to help someone else cross the street.
The accident happened around 10 p.m. Tuesday on 7 Mile Road at Beland Street, between Outer Drive and Hoover Street on the city's west side.
Relatives say 36-year-old Darlene Austin was helping a woman in a wheelchair cross a street outside of her home when she was struck by two cars after she slipped and fell. Both drivers fled the scene.
Austin was transported to a local hospital where she later died.
Police are now searching for those vehicles. One is described as an older-model blue pickup truck with a ladder rack, while the other is an unknown sedan.
Family members say newly installed LED street lights weren't working at the time of the accident. According to reports, utility crews were sent to the area on Wednesday to check for issues with the lights, which were working when WWJ stopped by the scene on Thursday morning.
Austin, a mother of three, would have celebrated her 37th birthday on Wednesday. Her family has put together a GoFundMe account to help pay for burial expenses. To donate, click here.
Anyone with information is urged to contact police at 313-267-4600.
