Victim injured in hit-and-run wants to find the driver who struck her
Denver police are looking for suspects in three separate hit-and-run crashes over the past week. On April 3, a pedestrian was injured near 36th and Quebec, and on April 7, a driver hit a pedestrian on a sidewalk on 16th Avenue and North Perry and later took off.
On April 9, a woman on a scooter got hit while riding back home by an SUV near Colfax and Broadway.
Domonique Newman is the woman who got hit in that incident and is speaking out in hopes of finding the person who committed this crime. She tells CBS News Colorado this near-death experience has been difficult and has since changed her life.
"It's really scary… I remember waking up with a tube down my throat and having a panic attack," said Newman.
Newman recalls the moments after she woke up from a hospital bed.
"I just feel bad…" she cried. She says she doesn't remember much from the night, except blacking out due to the panic.
The hit-and-run crash happened on April 9 just after midnight, she was heading home when a vehicle hit her near Colfax and Broadway and the driver of the vehicle quickly fled the scene.
Her mom, Jennifer Rustad flew out to take care of her daughter from Minnesota. She wants the camera footage to be reviewed and find the suspect that way.
"Hit-and-runs seem to be a real problem in this city and with all the cameras, people need to speak up if they saw something," said Rustad.
Newman is now left with scars and scratches on her arms and legs, brain damage and a drooping left eye.
"I can't shower by myself, it's hard to move around... read texts, type on my phone… I can't work," added Newman.
She says doctors tell her it will take up to nine months for her to recover fully.
In a Crime Stoppers alert, police describe the suspect's vehicle as a mid-sized black SUV, similar to a Nissan Murano and may have damage to the front and windshield toward the driver's side.
"I just want to find who hit me and hold them accountable," said Newman.
Newman's case is just one of three that have happened in the last week. CBS News Colorado reached out to Denver police for more information and they have yet to return calls.
Anyone with information about this hit-and-run or any others is asked to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at (720) 913-7867 - (720) 913-STOP. To be eligible for the $2,000 award and to remain anonymous, tipsters must call the tip line. Crime Stoppers collects information on unsolved crimes or individuals wanted by the police. Callers can remain anonymous. The tip line is answered 24 hours a day - 7 days a week.