Four days have passed since a mother of five was hit in the middle of a street, and now her relatives are pleading for the driver to turn themselves into Cleveland police.
Veronica Carter, 52, was crossing on East 102nd and St. Clair Avenue in East Cleveland Sunday night when she was hit by a small SUV.
According to a witness at the scene, the car was driving at a high speed. A witness told police the car looked like dark colored Ford Escape with possible damage to the front end.
As of Thursday, there were no leads in the case as Cleveland police continued to search for the driver.
Her grandson said he saw the whole thing.
“Black truck came out of nowhere and hit my grandma, and I can see my grandma spin and flip in the air,” said Deon Saunders, Carter’s grandson.
Saunders said he held her in his arms. He had only one thing on his mind.
“What can I do to save my grandma? What can I do to make her life last longer, because she looked like she was in pain, and I had to keep her awake,” he said.
When his mother got the call, she said, “All I remember is him saying, ‘she got hit,’ and the phone dropped. We took off running.”
Numerous people crossed St. Clair Avenue Thursday afternoon despite the lack of crosswalks in a busy section of town. 2
Carter's family members said people should avoid crossing the street in the area.
They want her to be remembered, not just as another hit-and-run victim, but a loving human being and a fun grandma.
“I want people to remember my grandma is happy and outgoing, fun and caring for her grandchildren,” said
“She was the life of the party, she loved to dance,” said Tawana Hill, a relative. “She loves to cook. She took us in and treated my kids like they were her blood grandkids.”
Carter was taken to University Hospitals, where she died from her injuries. Relatives of the victim are still in mourning. They said they want the driver to come forward, so they can find closure.
“If you felt that type of pain, do it, not just because it's right, but do it, because someone just lost a parent,” said Saunders.
A vigil was planned Thursday to honor the life of Carter.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the accident unit at 216-623-5290.
