MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida woman is demanding justice days after, she said, she was involved in a hit-and-run crash that sent her to the hospital.
Elissa Dawkins said a Dodge Caliber struck her SUV in the area of Northwest 183rd Street and 14th Avenue in Miami Gardens on Tuesday.
“My car flipped four times, and the driver of the blue Dodge Caliber just left,” she said, “but there was an eyewitness there who was able to see the first letter of the tag, which was ‘L.'”
Dawkins believes part of the reason why authorities have not been able to locate the driver is that police described the vehicle as black in their report.
“It seems like the police report is wrong. The fact that they haven’t found this car, this driver, with the bumper hanging off,” she said.
Dawkins asked not to show her face on camera, but there are cuts and stitches on her body that tell part of the story.
“I have over 35 stitches all over my body. I have rib and back contusions, spasms in my neck,” she said. “I couldn’t breathe in the hospital, and I didn’t think I would make it.”
But Dawkins said she feels lucky to have survived the crash that flipped her SUV four times.
The victim said she is also happy that neighbors at the scene came forward as eyewitnesses and captured surveillance video that could help track down the driver.
Dawkins, who is married and has three children, said she has a message for the person who was behind the wheel of the Caliber.
“You left me for dead. How could you do that? You know, if this was your loved one — your mom, your sister, your best friend — you would have wanted me to stop and make sure they were OK,” she said.
If you have any information on this hit-and-run or the driver’s whereabouts, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
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