VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A Virginia Beach family is seeking justice after a loved one was allegedly struck by a car while riding a bike home from the Oceanfront.
According to the family, the driver allegedly did not stop to call 911.
"It's pretty horrific. I can't imagine somebody would do that," said Frank Borum, a neighbor who lives at the entrance of the Croatan neighborhood.
Borum did not witness the incident, which occurred Saturday night, but noted that the entire community is aware of it.
"We were notified by the civic league," he added.
The victim is Paul Smith, who, according to his family, was riding his bike home from the Oceanfront when he crossed the entrance to the Croatan neighborhood sometime between 11 p.m. and midnight on Saturday.
They stated that after the collision, the driver of the sedan got out to move Smith to the sidewalk but then drove off.
Smith is currently in the hospital recovering from seven broken ribs, a broken collarbone, and a concussion.
Residents of the Croatan neighborhood expressed heartbreak over the incident and noted that speeding has long been a concern in their area.
"People leaving the beach pick up speed, and those heading to the beach just want to get there as quickly as possible," Borum said.
He mentioned that there are often serious accidents right in front of his neighborhood.
"There's probably at least one a year here, and there have been a couple of fatalities between here and the aquarium," he said.
Virginia Beach police confirmed they responded to Beach General on Sunday to file a report and are still investigating to identify the driver involved.
Meanwhile, residents are urging the community to reduce speed in the area.
"We've discussed various methods to try to calm speed on Croatan Road, but there needs to be some form of speed control on General Booth," Borum said.
If you have any information about this incident, please contact the Virginia Beach Police Department.
