A woman who has been accused of hitting a teenager with her car that was crossing the street and then leaving the scene allegedly stated that she thought she had struck a pole and not a person.
62-year-old Harrisburg resident Joyce Smith was reportedly driving her vehicle on the evening of December 21, when she allegedly ran into an 18-year-old woman who was crossing the street in an area that police have purported is regularly frequented by pedestrians.
Smith reportedly continued her journey after the incident, and when the authorities received a report about the accident and arrived at the location they found a few car parts that they believed had fallen off of the suspect’s vehicle. When they assessed through those pieces it was determined that the vehicle was a blue Chevrolet Aveo made in either 2004 or 2005.
The woman who was hit was taken to a nearby hospital and treated for injuries to her head, legs and back.
The car was found parked in Smith’s driveway and the police alleged that there was visible damage to the automobile that matched the pieces found at the scene.
Smith is facing a felony charge of accidents involving death or personal injury, in addition to charges for failure to stop and give aid, and failure to notify police of an accident.
When she was talking to the authorities regarding the incident Smith allegedly told them that she didn’t know she had hit a person, but thought that she hit a pole so she did not stop. They suggested that she refrain from making any more comments about the situation until she had legal counsel.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a driving offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.