Hit-And-Run Victim Seeking Help
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Updated: 4:58 PM Mar 18, 2010
Hit-And-Run Victim Seeking Help
He was hit by a car while crossing a busy Colorado Springs street and was badly injured. The driver never stopped and now the victim is speaking out, frustrated that the person who hit him hasn't been identified.
Posted: 3:52 PM Mar 18, 2010
Reporter: McKenzie Martin
Email Address: mmartin@kktv.com
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He was hit by a car while crossing a busy Colorado Springs street and was badly injured. The driver never stopped and now the victim is speaking out, frustrated that the person who hit him hasn't been identified.

The accident happened near the intersection of Union and Van Buren on the evening of Valentine’s Day. David Hardt and two of his friends were walking back from 7-Eleven. They were hit when they tried to cross Union. Police say Hardt and his friend weren’t in the crosswalk when they tried to cross, Hardt says they were, but both agree: the driver never stopped.

Now Hardt isn't sure if he'll ever be able to walk again. "Compound fracture to one leg, I broke the other leg and I have a broken toe and a broken ankle," he said.

Hardt spent eight days in the hospital following the accident, an accident that he now has nightmares about. "I wake up in the middle of the night seeing headlights," Hardt said.

Hardt is now recovering at home, but with no health insurance his medical bills are piling up. He isn't sure how he's going to pay them and he's not sure if he'll be able to go back to work.

"I do construction, I don't know if I'll be able to do that again. I’m living on nothing," Hardt said.

At this point he just wants closure and would like to know who was behind the wheel of the car that hit him.

Since police say Hardt and his friend were outside the crosswalk when they were hit, they say the driver would not have been facing charges if they'd stopped, but now they could be charged for leaving the scene of an accident.

Hardt’s friend who was also hit suffered a broken ankle in the accident.


Latest Comments

Posted by: Tina Location: Colorado Springs on Mar 19, 2010 at 05:55 PM

Last I heard pedestrians have the right of way in Colorado. It doesn't matter if they were in the crosswalk or not. It is safer if you are but not completely safe. There was no sign of the driver even trying to stop. This is drivers ed 101. If you are in an accident you stop. If you don't know how to drive please don't do it. If you are not licenced to drive don't do it. If you are impaired by whatever(drink, drugs, lack of sleep)DONT DO IT! Cops need to remember "and justice for all" from the Pledge of Allegence. This is one of the earliest and most basic documents we were founded on. Please catch this person before they hit or kill another. Best wishes and prayers for the families involved they still have alot to face before this matter is over.
Posted by: Dixie Normus Location: COS on Mar 19, 2010 at 05:33 AM

People please! What's with all the pedestrians and bike riders wandering around in traffic??? Ok, you might have the 'right of way' but -- guess what, news flash -- a car is BIGGER than you. YOU need to yield to moving veichles, not every driver is looking for d-bags on foot dodging in and out of traffic...also, not every driver is going to have that full insurance 'jackpot' you are looking for, you jump in front of some down-on-his-luck motorist you will not get squat.
Posted by: Bill on Mar 19, 2010 at 03:42 AM

I'm sorry, but I have mixed feelings on this story. If they got hit in the crosswalk, the driver should be found at fault. But, what if the pedestrian signal was flashing the "red hand"? Doesn't that tell pedestrians to stop? Yesterday, I on my way to work at about 2:15 in the afternoon. I'm on Palmer Park Blvd. going east, then turning south on Academy. I had the green light, then I realized there were 2 people in the crosswalk. Thankfully, I was slowing down. Then, I realized the "flashing red hand" was on. The people crossing the street, an older couple, keep on going like nothing was happening. I made a point to comment to the old man, & he responded with a rude hand gesture. Back at Cha, cupcake!! People get hit in the street, I have a hard time feeling sorry for them.





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