19-year-old Elkhart woman falls victim to a hit and run

ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. -- A 19-year-old woman was hit by a car on her way to work around 7 a.m. Tuesday morning in Elkhart County.

The crash took place two miles north of Middlebury and just near the Intersection of C.R. 8 and 10.

The young woman was identified as Cadence Leeder and was taken to the hospital after being sideswiped by the driver, and suffered severe injuries to her hand that will require surgery.

Leeder's uncle, Donald Standish, is seeking justice for his niece and has a message for the driver.

“What if it were your daughter, or your niece or your wife,” said Stanish. “In my world, whether I'm married and have kids or not. I know if I hit someone, kid or dog, I’m gonna stop and make sure they're ok and do everything I can to make sure they will be okay.”

A construction worker on the scene was able to get a glimpse at the car and described the driver as a white male driving a black foreign car.

The Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office has investigated 25 crashes involving pedestrians, bicycles, and horse drawn carriages this year.

If you have any information on the driver of this hit and run, please don’t hesitate to contact the Elkhart County Sheriff's Office.

In an effort to raise awareness, October is Pedestrian Safety Month and there are some tips for pedestrians and drivers to keep in mind while traveling: 

• If you're at a crosswalk equipped with a push button, use it. It's there to allow extra time for pedestrians to cross the roadway. Push the button to let the traffic signal know you are waiting to cross.
• Wait for your turn to cross. Waiting your turn keeps everyone safe, including you. Both vehicles and pedestrians must wait their turn to proceed.
• Once the crosswalk signal indicates that it's your turn to cross, check to make sure vehicles are stopped, make eye contact and proceed to cross the road. Watch for turning vehicles.
• Pedestrians are notified to cross by a WALK indication. A common timing provides at least seven seconds of WALK, followed by a flashing DON’T WALK message.
• Pedestrians should not attempt to cross if a flashing DON’T WALK signal has already started. The duration of that flashing message allows enough time for people already in the crosswalk to complete their crossing.
• Many intersections provide a countdown indicating how much time is left to safely cross.

CRASH NARRATIVE:

The Elkhart County Police reports the suspect car, described in the report as a Chevrolet sedan, was driving west on C. R. 10 east of C. R. 8 in Middlebury.

Leeder was riding her Mongoose bicycle east on C.R. 10 east of C.R. 8, going against traffic in the westbound lane.

The Chevy then clipped Leeder's right hand with its passenger's side-view mirror as they passed each other in the westbound lane.

The Chevy then left the scene of the crash and was last seen heading west on C.R. 10. The suspect driver is described to be a 20- to 30-year-old man in the report.

The Chevy was reported to have passenger's side damage on the side-view mirror.

Leeder then went to South Bend Memorial Hospital for her injuries where she learned she had a fractured hand and a dislocated finger.