Car in New Orleans hit woman on bike before speeding away without helping
By Eli Brand
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NEW ORLEANS (WDSU) — Surveillance video shows a car hit a woman riding home from Jazz Fest on a bicycle at the intersection of Esplanade and Claiborne avenues in New Orleans before speeding off.
In the video, you see the woman, identified as Katherine Elkins by friends and family, separated from her bike, which goes flying to the opposite side of the street during the impact.
“When I walked into that ICU unit, when I walked into the room, I was speechless,” said Kel Richardson, who is a close friend of Elkins.
Richardson says Elkins suffered a fractured vertebra, seven broken ribs, multiple brain bleeds and an ankle injury that almost ripped her ankle off.
“Katherine is one of the people you meet that is one in a million and has a heart of gold and would do anything in the world for anybody if it meant that they were happy,” Elkins said.
NOPD is still investigating what led to the incident and looking for the person who appears to have fled the scene.
New Orleans City Councilman Eugene Green points out that the intersection has clearly painted crosswalks, active traffic lights and walk signals. He says the person who hit Elkins and ran needs to be held accountable.
“But the very fact that that person hit someone and ran and left that person injured suggests that there is a lot more involved than speeding here, we have someone completely insensitive to others around them,” Green said.
Police ask that anyone with information about the incident call Crime Stoppers of Greater New Orleans at 504-822-1111.
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