NORWICH – The Norwich Police Department is asking for the public’s help in solving a hit and run collision that caused a car to careen off the road and crash into a local doctor’s office.
The accident occurred at around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday when the driver, Anne Ward of Manley Road, Norwich, slowed her Ford Escort Wagon to make a right turn into the Podiatric Medicine & Surgery Office at 85 South Broad.
Just behind her and heading north on the road, an unidentified dark green or blue pick-up truck, possibly an SUV, rear-ended Ward’s vehicle, causing her to lose control and slide across the business’s lawn, smashing into the front porch and brick foundation.
“All I could think was ‘What just happened? What hit me?’” said Ward. “A man following behind me pulled over after the other car sped away and made sure I was OK. I never got his name, but thank you whoever you were.”
Police said witnesses saw the suspect’s vehicle heading north on South Broad St. (State Highway 12) and are asking anyone with information to call 334-1212. All calls will be kept confidential.
Officers at the scene said the damage to Ward’s car indicated that the force of the collision was significant and said the suspect driver most likely did not slow down before the crash. Police said traces of paint left behind on the victim’s car led them to believe the suspect’s vehicle was either dark green or blue, and must have visible damage to the front of the vehicle.
Tim Ward, Anne’s oldest son, arrived at the scene a short time later to make sure his mother was unhurt and took her to the Chenango Memorial Hospital for a precautionary check up. Anne said she was not hurt, but “just wanted to make sure.”
“I talked to the wrecker guy as he was taking out the vehicle and basically the conclusion was that the cost of fixing the car was more than it was worth. It’s totaled,” said Tim.
Anne said she had full insurance coverage which should cover the $16,000 in expected costs to replace the vehicle.
The damage to the doctor’s office owned by D.P.M. Jeffrey A. Todd was estimated by clerks at the business Wednesday to be at least a “couple thousand dollars,” they said.
Chenango County Fire Coordinator Matthew Beckwith said emergency staff handled a number of accidents Wednesday and Thursday morning because of the weather, most of them minor property damage accidents. Beckwith reported a total of 22 motor vehicle accidents were responded to yesterday by officials.
At around 8 a.m. yesterday, a tractor trailer jackknifed across State Highway 23 in South New Berlin, closing traffic in both directions. At about the same time, a two-car motor vehicle accident in the Town of Norwich, between the city line and Lower Ravine Road, slowed traffic temporarily, closing one lane. Beckwith said crews also responded to other scenes, including a number of downed trees and wires.
Thursday morning, emergency crews aided five different cars that went into a ditch along King Settlement Road (County Route 29) in the towns of New Berlin and Norwich.
He also reported a one-car personal injury accident on Sanitarium Road in the Town of Sherburne and a three-car accident along County Rt. 10a in the Town of Norwich early Thursday.
“We had extra staff on hand for the anticipated snow fall, but overall it wasn’t too bad with schools closing and the highway departments also responding quickly. Most of the accidents were minor,” said Beckwith.