'Just a beautiful soul': Woman fighting for her life after Scottsdale hit-and-run
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Police and loved ones are hoping a suspect comes forward in a hit-and-run crash, critically injuring a woman in Scottsdale on Sept. 26.
At around 9:30 p.m., 46-year-old Nitara Charlton and her dog were crossing Thomas Road, east of the Scottsdale Road intersection, when she was hit by the driver of a dark-colored, four-door sedan traveling eastbound on Thomas Road.
The vehicle most likely has damage to the front-end and windshield, police say.
Suspect vehicle in hit-and-run on Sept. 26
Suspect vehicle in hit-and-run on Sept. 26
Charlton was seriously injured and is now recovering in the hospital. Loved ones set up a GoFundMe to help with recovery costs.
In the GoFundMe description, loved ones wrote, "Our dear friend, Nitara, was in a hit-and-run accident Saturday in Scottsdale along with her dog, Cody. Both suffered severe injuries. She is currently in an induced coma and in need of multiple surgeries."
She has since awoken from the coma.
Her good friend, Angie Frick, spoke out about the crash on Oct. 4, saying, “Just a beautiful soul and everybody just loves her and how she loves her animals and just is amazing.”
46-year-old Nitara Charlton and her dog. Photo courtesy of Mary Charlton.
As of Oct. 4, Charlton has internal bleeding, a broken leg, broken collarbones, a broken back and several other injuries. Her dog sadly died in the hit-and-run.
Frick has visited her every day since the crash and hopes the suspect will come forward.
"They left her in the middle of the street, her and her dog, just there and drove away. I don't know how anybody can do that. So please, please have a conscience. Come forward. It's a horrible, tragic accident that happened, but please just come forward," Frick pleaded.
Charlton's family is in Canada, but her sister, Samantha Van Tol, spoke with FOX 10 on Oct. 4.
"They'll have to live with it. They ran somebody over and drove off and they're gonna have to live with that," Van Tol said.
Her family is relying on her close friends in the Valley for updates.
"We're all trying our best. We call every day and we just get updates and hope for the best," Van Tol said.
Frick aks for anyone with a lead on who the suspect might be to come forward, saying, "Anybody that could have been on the bus that was nearby, anybody that was around, any people in the parking lot, please, it could have been your mother, your sister, your friend, your daughter."
Anyone with information related to this case is asked to call the Scottsdale Police Department at 480-312-5000. For anonymous tips, call Silent Witness at 480-948-6377 (W-I-T-N-E-S-S) or visit the Silent Witness website at www.silentwitness.org.