RICHMOND, Va. -- Where Richmond's West Main Street leads to Monroe Park, the heart of Virginia Commonwealth University's campus, is path one student avoids at all costs.
“I haven’t walked that way since it happened," said a senior who requested to go by "Anna," and not to share her last name.
Anna walked that path from her apartment to her classes, or to Monroe Park to meet friends every day, until Oct. 22, 2022.
It was a Saturday, around 10 a.m.
VCU Police say around that time, Anna was walking on West Main Street, attempting to cross North Belvidere Street. As she crossed, she was struck in the face by the passenger-side mirror of a dark-gray Toyota Tundra pickup truck, which was reported to have a 4-door cab and an open-end trailer.
“The mirror hit my head and I just, like, screamed," Anna recounted.
The driver slowed down, but then continued northbound on Belvidere Street, according to police. The incident was classified as a hit-and-run."
“They just kept going," Anna said.
Anna filed a report with VCU Police, who say they scoured the area looking for the vehicle responsible. Investigators reviewed security camera photos and videos extensively, according to police, trying to match license plates with the vehicle involved.
Still, over a year later, the driver responsible has not been found, and VCU Police say they've exhausted all their resources to find the person responsible.
“I didn’t want to be on camera because the person that hit me is still out there, and I don’t know who that person is, and I don’t know what was going through their mind," Anna shared in an interview.
On Jan. 27, just a few months later, another student, Mahrokh Khan, was hit by a driver while trying to cross the intersection of North Laurel and West Main Street.
Khan was killed.
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“My physical therapist, she said I have PTSD from what happened," Anna said. "And a couple months after my accident another student got hit in the same area, but she died."
VCU ramped up its traffic safety efforts, issuing more than 1,000 traffic citations in 2023 and creating community engagement opportunities to educate pedestrians and drivers on crosswalk safety.
Anna, now a senior, had to briefly stop school to treat her head injury, still scared of what could happen to her if she walked that same way again.
“I know what happened to me and the person knows what they did so I just hope that they turn themselves in," she said.
VCU Police is continuing to seek any tips the community may have to identify the driver. Community members can call VCU Police and 804-828-1196, use the free LiveSafe mobile safety app to submit tips, including anonymous tips, or submit tips to Metro Richmond Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000 or on the P3 Tips mobile app.
