Police chief seeks information on likely hit and run injuring local businessman

New Albany Police Chief Chris Robertson is looking for information on, or witnesses to, a likely hit and run incident first thought to be a medically-caused accident this past Friday.

The incident happened about 10:30 a.m. on Camp Street between Bankhead Street and Main Street, between First Baptist Church and the courthouse.

“A local business owner was found down on the ground with head and other injuries,” he said.

“Originally they thought he had had a seizure and fallen, causing the injuries,” the chief continued. “My belief is that he was hit by a vehicle.”

The chief did not identify the victim, partly because it still is not clear whether a crime was committed or this was an accident and medical event.

Robertson said it was a police officer who found the man.

“He was turning the corner from Main to Camp and came up on him lying in the street,” he chief said.

The man apparently had been making a delivery to the courthouse and never made it to the sidewalk from the church side of the street. The officer probably found the man only a minute or two, or even seconds after the incident.

The officer immediately began providing aid and called an ambulance. “Then a nurse showed up and said he needed hospitalization immediately,” Robertson said. “After waiting a while they were told no ambulance was available so officers took him to the hospital.”

The victim was flown to The Med in Memphis and reported to be in serious but stable condition with an open head injury, punctured lung, rib and other injuries.

Police assumed the incident was over. It was handled quickly and there was no obvious evidence of a crime, as those present were working to help the victim.

Robertson said it is likely the idea of a hit and run was not initially considered because of the lack of more obvious evidence. Also, officers were focused on trying to save the victim’s life and get him to the hospital quickly.

The victim had no memory of what had happened, he said.

“But then, later, one of the trauma surgeons told his (the victim’s) brother that the injuries were not consistent with a fall,” Robertson said.

When Robertson learned this Wednesday they started investigating. Officers went back to the scene and found some debris that could support the hit-and-run theory.

However, interviewing people at the courthouse and workers on the old jail and in offices in the area turned up nothing.

It is possible something might show up on security video at Regions Bank, but the bank was closed Wednesday so officers had not been able to check that. They planned to view the footage Thursday.

“I would have bet big money that you could not walk in the Union County Courthouse on a Friday morning without at least four or five people seeing you,” the chief said. So far, he hasn’t found any who saw this happen and hopes an appeal to the public may bring in some information that will help.

Anyone who might have such information is asked to call the New Albany Police Department at 662-534-2222.

Robertson said he understands the victim is improving but faces a long recovery period and said that it really angers him that someone might commit the crime of hitting a person and driving off.