Pedestrian Critically Injured in Hit-and-Run

DALLAS - Dallas police are on the hunt for a hit-and-run driver who plowed into a 55-year-old man. Those who live and work near where it happened said they’re not surprised.

Several hours after Wayne Priest was hit by a car while crossing Cedar Springs Road, his roommates had no idea what had happened to him.

“He had said he was just going to Walgreens to pick up some medicine, and he just didn’t come back,” said Carrie Moon, one of Priest’s roommates.

Police said he was using a non-lighted crosswalk near Reagan Street around 9 p.m. Thursday night when a maroon, four-door car slammed into him and never stopped.

The impact was so severe, police said Priest’s shoe flew off and hit a witness’s car. He was taken to Parkland Hospital in critical condition.

John Bonsignore owns a store on Cedar Springs Road just a few feet from where the hit-and-run happened. He said he’s seen several close encounters involving cars and pedestrians on the busy street, especially at night.

“It is dangerous because people are trying to get across the street and the cars are trying to get to where they’re going, and they don’t want to give much leeway to pedestrians,” Bonsignore said.

Less than a block away another lighted crosswalk urges drivers to be careful. Pedestrians wonder why the crosswalk that Priest used does not look the same.

“Maybe an intersection with a light right here, or maybe more officers in the area that keep an eye on that kind of thing,” said Trey Doughty.

Friends of Priest said he liked to go for walks and used the crosswalk at Reagan Street regularly. They now hope the driver who hit him has the decency to come forward.

“They didn’t even call a hospital or anything, just disregard for life really is what it is,” said Erick Deaver, another of Priest’s roommates.