'John Doe' Pedestrian Left In Critical Condition After Hit-And-Run In Grass Valley
GRASS VALLEY (CBS13) — California Highway Patrol is asking for the public's help in not only identifying a hit-and-run driver, but also a pedestrian who was left in critical condition after an incident in Grass Valley over the weekend.
The collision happened around 1 a.m. Sunday on Red Dog Road at Berggren Lane. Darin Barry owns a home in front of the scene and said he heard tires skidding right before the impact.
"I come out and hear a sickening thump," said Barry. "I come out to my front yard and there's a body laying in my yard. That's what I woke up to."
The victim has been listed as a "John Doe" - and police say the only identifying feature is a flower tattoo on his left shoulder.
According to CHP, witnesses briefly spoke to the suspect in the incident - who was said to be female - before she fled the scene towards Celestial Bay as Barry ran inside his home to get his phone.
"She had claimed that this guy had jumped out in front of her, but there is no real evidence to that," Barry said.
Witnesses described the driver's vehicle as a white mid-2000's Toyota Highlander, which CHP later confirmed as a 2007 model.
Barry has lived on Red Dog Road and Berggren lane his whole life and says he's witnessed plenty of hit-and-runs. He added that the area, which doesn't have sidewalks, is notorious for deer strikes and is a high-traffic area any time of day.
"It's just too fast at night," he said. "You can't see anything. There [are] cars moving up and down versus pedestrians, it's a bad situation."
He still has many questions, most troubling for him is why this woman chose to leave the scene.
"What's astonishing to me is this guy was suffering so bad, screaming so bad, that this woman chose to flee the scene, you know, without really knowing the outcome of how this poor gentleman was going to be," said Barry.
Barry said he could easily pick the suspect out of a police line up and suspects she lives in the area so he hopes she turns herself in.
Witnesses describe her as having shoulder-length blond hair, heavyset, about 6 feet tall and driving a white SUV. Anyone with information is being asked to call Grass Valley CHP.
