CHELSEA — Law enforcement has not yet identified a suspect in a Nov. 6 hit-and-run incident that injured Angelique Binns of Gardiner.
Binns was walking northbound along River Road about 6:15 p.m. when a vehicle struck her from behind, causing a severe concussion, a broken elbow, pleurisy and extensive bruising.
Police found a broken black passenger-side mirror at the scene, she said, along with tire marks that suggested the driver was swerving in and out of the traffic lane. Binns said she was wearing a bright light, attached to her backpack to make herself more visible for drivers, which was also found at the scene.
“I walked on the correct side of the street,” she said. “I was on the the only part that had a sidewalk. I had a light attached to me, reflective gear. I did everything there is to be done to be seen by cars at night.”
Binns said she does not remember the incident or its immediate aftermath, but said a bystander in a red pickup truck saw her lying in a ditch just north of Wayne’s Weeds, a medical cannabis dispensary, and took her to MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta. She said the person helped her into a wheelchair, dropped her off at the MaineGeneral emergency department and left quickly without giving their name.
She said she still does not know the identity of the person who dropped her off, and that law enforcement told her they were unsure if the person who hit her and the person who brought her to the hospital were the same person. She also said law enforcement also told her some of the information found at the scene pointed the investigation toward the Litchfield area.
Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Chris Read confirmed Monday that no suspect has been identified, but did not provide any other details in the case. Deputy Alex Morin is still investigating, he said.
“Either way, I just need closure,” Binns, who had surgery on her 40th birthday to repair her broken elbow, said. “The pain part hurts, but the mental part is worse. I either want to find the vehicle that found me or just find the person that did it so I know why. I get it — hitting a person is scary. You could lose so many things, but honestly, I’m an extremely understanding person. A sorry goes a long way.”
Tips in the case can be submitted on the sheriff’s office’s website.
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