DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - As a woman is on the road to recovery, the 911 calls for help made by her boyfriend after they were struck by a hit-and-run driver in Deerfield Beach have been released.
Jesse Abernathy and his girlfriend, 58-year-old Fanny Shindle, were crossing East Hillsboro Boulevard last Friday evening after having dinner at The Cove Waterfront Restaurant and Tiki Bar when they said a car going double the speed limit, heading westbound from the Hillsboro Bridge, struck them.
The driver fled the scene without rendering aid or alerting the authorities.
Abernathy was barely nicked by the car and called 911 after the incident.
“We just got hit by a car, we’re on Hillsboro Boulevard. There’s two of us involved. The car just took off,” said Abernathy.
“Can you describe to me the car that took off?” asked the dispatcher.
“It was a Jeep,” said Abernathy.
“Do you know which way the Jeep took off?” asked the dispatcher.
“The Jeep is heading west on Hillsboro Boulevard,” replied Abernathy. “We were walking across the street, this guy came flying through out of nowhere.”
While Abernathy was barely impacted, Shindle was seriously injured and suffered some broken bones. She was hospitalized in intensive care but has since been released and moved to a different ward where she’ll spend the some time recovering.
Abernathy recounted the scary experience to 7News on Wednesday.
“And the next thing I know, I’m getting hit and she’s flying down the road,” he said.
His girlfriend would land around 30 feet away as Abernathy called for help from first responders.
“I thought it was going to be much worse. I really did. I mean, it’s bad, but she’s alive,” he said.
Now, he wants the public to help authorities find who was behind the wheel.
“It’s sad to see someone can just do something like that to a person and just take off,” said Abernathy.
Broward Sheriff’s Office told 7News they are investigating and reviewing surveillance footage in the area.
Shindle’s family has set up a $5,000 reward for any information that helps catch the driver.
If you have any information on this hit-and-run or the driver’s whereabouts, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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