2 days ago
Hit-and-run victim in Norfolk left with serious injuries, driver still at large
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A man named Owen Simmons was riding his bike from his occupation as a hairstylist when he was hit by a car and seriously injured in Norfolk on Sunday night, according to police.
The hit and run happened at the intersection of Granby St and E Princess Anne Rd. The driver took off and is still yet to be found.
10 On Your Side spoke with Simmons' sister Melissa, who said another driver saw her brother on the road after he was struck and called 911. He was taken to Sentra Norfolk General Hospital for immediate care.
'He was going downhill quite a bit real fast. They ended up putting a breathing tube in him and took him up to the ICU,' said Melissa Sorey, Owen Simmons' sister.
Simmons suffered bleeding in his brain, fractures to his face and a C4 spinal cord injury. Police stated his injuries were not life threatening, but Sorey disagrees.
'His face was all messed up and swollen. He had a seizure, and they said he had flatlined also. It was just really devastating to see him the way that he was,' said Sorey.
Sorey said it took nearly 24 hours to discover her brother was in the hospital. She did not find out from authorities, but from coworkers who noticed that Simmons had been absent from work.
'I haven't heard anything from the police. He hadn't shown up to work. Another friend started calling around to the hospital and that's when they found him here at Norfolk Sentara,' said Sorey.
10 On Your Side also spoke with Kimberly Bruce, a family friend who had to find where Simmons was hospitalized.
'He had his wallet on him. So, they knew his address, they knew his name. That's the only reason they could identify who he was. Nobody was notified. I had to find him. I called Sentara Norfolk General. After conversing for a little while, I found out he was there,' said Bruce.
Bruce and Sorey are calling on anyone with information to come forward so authorities can find the driver responsible.
'Just please come and say something. Anything. Even if you make an anonymous call, ring camera video, anything you've seen, even if it's a half license plate, come and say something to somebody,' said Bruce.
The Norfolk Police Department asks anyone with information in this case to call the Norfolk Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
Simmons will have a long road to recovery. If you'd like to help him get back on his feet, a link to his GoFundMe can be found here.
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