A woman was struck by a car while retrieving a package from her mailbox on McFarland Road in Southport just after 7 p.m. Saturday, and the driver who hit her took off, leaving her to be treated for injuries at the hospital. Southport police say the vehicle briefly stopped after the collision before continuing away from the scene, leaving broken headlight parts scattered in the road as the only physical evidence left behind.
According to Fox 59, investigators have one eyewitness and a single Ring camera in the area to work with, along with the fragments of headlight debris, which were not enough to determine the vehicle’s make or model. Police describe the driver as a white male and say the car is white, gray, tan, or champagne-colored, but they have not identified him. Southport Police Chief Thomas Vaughn said the driver “should have stopped and rendered aid” rather than driving away after hitting the woman.
Police Chase a Lead at a Vacant House
Investigators are now trying to track down the owner of a camera system spotted at an abandoned or empty house near the crash site, hoping it captured the moment of impact or the vehicle fleeing. Police say they still need to determine whether that camera system is even active and whether it holds any usable footage. The woman struck in the crash remains in the hospital recovering and is awaiting the driver’s arrest, per the same report.
Southport officials told the outlet the crash marked the area’s first in a number of years, a notable statement given how often the department pulls drivers over nearby. Officer Habibi said officers pull over roughly three people a day for speeding along the corridor, and separately noted that state law caps speeds at 40 miles per hour there. That figure sits above the posted limit: under Southport’s municipal speed regulations, McFarland Road carries a 35 mph limit between Southport Road and Stop 11 Road, well above the city’s general 20 mph limit elsewhere.
A Cut-Through Road With a History
McFarland Road functions as a popular shortcut for drivers heading to I-65 and US-31, according to the police account relayed by Fox 59, which helps explain both the heavier traffic and the elevated speed limit compared to Southport’s residential streets. Police also say they heavily patrol the stretch because it runs near several churches, daycares, and Little League fields. Neighbors who spoke with the outlet said they hope the crash pushes drivers to slow down and pay closer attention to their surroundings…