I Witnessed An Old Woman Get Hit By A Construction Truck. The Truck Ran Away, But The Woman Refused Medical Service And Didn’t Want To Get To Get The Police Involved. That Doesn’t Sit Right With Me.

I was in the passenger seat of a car waiting at a four-way intersection downtown with construction. While an old woman was walking the crosswalk, a large construction truck hit her while making a right turn. There was a crowd of about 8-10 people outside who helped her up to her feet and brought her inside somewhere (it was raining).

Even though she didn’t seem severely injured, the truck wasn’t stopping so we cut him off a few blocks down and got him to pull over. I told the truck driver that he hit the woman and he was clearly surprised, saying he didn’t even notice. I told him he should stay put in case she was hurt, that it was an accident but he may stand to get in real trouble if he leaves. I ran back to try to find which building the woman was taken to so I could tell them we stopped the driver, but I couldn’t find her. By then, the truck took off. I have pictures/video of the license plate and name of the local construction company.

I called the police telling them what I saw. They asked me to walk back to the location of the accident for questioning. While I was waiting for the police, I walked into a convenience store and asked if the cashier had seen the accident or old lady. The cashier did see her and the group of pedestrians who helped her about 10 minutes before I got there. Turns out the old lady refused medical service. The cashier said she was able to walk, but certainly looked dazed. The cashier also recognized her as a frequent customer.

As I continued to wait, I was eventually called back saying the police no longer needed to meet with me because they got into contact with the old lady who “didn’t want to do anything”.

Maybe the old woman is totally fine and if so, that’s the most important thing. However, this doesn’t sit right with me on a number of levels.

From the old woman’s perspective, I’m concerned that once the adrenaline wears off she might wake up tomorrow with hip/back/neck issues and be totally screwed. She might not have had health insurance and/or didn’t want to pay for an ambulance. She may not have known someone tracked down the driver. She was apparently only concerned with not missing her bus, and since we have a blizzard coming to town tonight I can see why she may think her plans for the day are more important than the perceived inconvenience of taking this further.

From the truck driver’s side, he should never be fleeing the scene after being informed he hit someone. I feel like the company shouldn’t be let off the hook here.

I’m not sure what to do. I left my number with the police. I also left my number with the convenience store in case they encounter the old woman again. However, I never actually came into contact with the old woman myself. I can’t help but worry that she made a misinformed decision to refuse help and she’s at risk of longer term injury/issues.