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Late Friday night, October 15th, our sweet and beautiful Scarlett was struck while walking in the downtown Greensboro area by a hit and run driver. Thankfully, a nearby driver saw the accident and car drive away.
This man, whom we have had an opportunity to meet, stopped his car, called 911, and stayed with Scarlett until she was taken to Moses Cone Hospital. Scarlett suffered a severe traumatic injury to her brain/head as well as numerous fractures, breaks, cuts, lacerations throughout her body. In addition to the TBI, Scarlett also suffered a massive stroke. Scarlett lived 199 days after that horrific day, all of them in hospital and nursing home settings.
Scarlett died at 4:02 pm on May 1, 2022 from the complications resulting from the injuries and trauma directly related to the accident.
After suffering cardiac arrest in 2017 (due to heart damage caused by Mononucleosis Scarlett registered to become an organ donor. Because of Scarlett’s legacy, dozens of lives will be saved and enhanced as Scarlett was able to donate her liver, kidneys, corneas, large intestine, and dozens of bone, vein and skin grafts.
Cone Hospital honored Scarlett with an Honor Walk, attended by over 100 friends, family, doctors, nurses and staff.
The 22 year old driver of the car that hit Scarlett was arrested and turned herself in but was released on bail. The young woman was with her mother and a friend, and none of them convinced the driver to stop and help take care of Scarlett. The driver was going 45 miles per hour in the intersection when Scarlett was struck. The driver is charged with Felony Hit and Run causing serious bodily injuries and the passengers were charged with misdemeanors for failing to render aid.
On Friday, January 13, 2023, the defendant Nyquasia Rowell came to court at the Guilford County Courthouse to accept a plea arrangement from the District Attorney and was sentenced to 199 days in jail and 30 months supervised probation. While she never apologized or looked at us in the courtroom, she and her mother wrote letters to the judge who did not read them out loud. 199 days is not a fair sentence and public outrage has been present since the hearing. However, it was the family's wish to not go to trial, so we suggested the 199 days sentence as a symbolic gesture for the number of days Scarlett lived in the hospital or nursing home before being taken off of life support.
Melanie and Jay now spend their time with the memories of sweet Scarlett and are making a great effort to stiffen the North Carolina laws regarding hit and run accidents causing bodily injury or death, including those for the passengers of such cases.
