A 60-year-old woman who claimed to be a victim of convicted serial killer Anthony Sowell died in a hit-skip crash earlier this week in Euclid.
"Anthony Sowell is the first tragedy, this hit and run that killed her is the second," said the victim's sister Brenda Beasley.
According to authorities, Vernice Crutcher was hit from behind by a vehicle when she walking down Grand Boulevard around 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 16.
Police said it appears the driver of the car continued to drive westbound on Euclid Avenue toward Cleveland.
Authorities are still looking for the driver. The car is believed to be a light-colored sedan.
Crutcher claimed to have been sexually assaulted by Sowell in 2006.
Sowell has been on death row since he was sentenced to die for killing 11 women in the Cleveland area and hiding their bodies on his property.
Crutcher's claims were never confirmed by police. Her niece described her as loving, but sometimes hard to handle.
"My aunt, she was a real live firecracker. A really interesting person," her niece said. "She showed us something new every day, kept us smiling, sometimes irritating but she was a very loving person."
Authorities are asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident to call the Euclid Police Department and speak with investigating officer Jeff Herold at 216-731-1234
