[Updated information at bottom of article]
A dog is dead, and a woman is in serious condition following a hit-and-run incident in south Ames earlier this week.
According to Ames Police Commander Jason Tuttle, officers responded to multiple calls from passersby of an injured pedestrian in the 2100 block of Oakwood Road in the early morning hours Tuesday. On arrival to the scene, police located both the injured adult female and a hurt dog in the roadway. The woman was reportedly conscious but not completely alert. Authorities believe the victim and her dog may have been crossing the road when they were both struck. The vehicle and suspect responsible for the collision fled the scene before officers arrived.
The injured woman was transported to Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames and treated for a serious head injury. Unfortunately, the dog did not survive the internal injuries it suffered during the incident.
Ames PD is investigating the now criminal incident and asks that anyone with knowledge of the suspect’s identity or details about the incident contact the authorities. Officers did locate a passenger side mirror that had apparently broken off the suspect’s vehicle. Investigators are now on the lookout for a dark gray Subaru, 2018 or newer, with a missing passenger side mirror.
Tuttle noted that the suspect at-fault may be charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury accident. The charge is considered a serious misdemeanor in the state of Iowa. “That’s something that we will definitely consult with the county attorney on if we can identify the person and move forward,” Tuttle stated. “The biggest thing is we want to talk to the person and interview them to determine what happened that morning. We know that, generally, no one intends to do this. So, there could have been other mitigating issues that we need to be aware of, but we need to talk to them first to understand that.”
Ames PD can be contacted by calling 515-239-5133. Anonymous tips can also be offered by submitting information to Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa at www.crimestoppersofcentraliowa.com or by calling the Ames PD anonymous tip line at 515-239-5533.
UPDATE [11/23/20 – 10:39 a.m.]: According to Ames Police Commander Jason Tuttle, authorities have identified the vehicle and driver they believe were behind last week’s incident. Due to the ongoing investigation, Ames PD cannot currently disclose the driver’s identity.
Tuttle did note that the driver is a female and had personally reached out to police late last week. “The driver called us Friday afternoon to report she was possibly the driver,” Tuttle explained. “An officer interviewed her and examined the vehicle. The driver stated she did not know she struck anyone but later discovered her mirror was missing.”
The driver lives in the area of Oakwood Road, near where the incident took place.
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