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

ELKHART, Ind. -- A 19-year-old woman was hit by a car on her way to work around 7am this 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 now suffers 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 conveyances this year.

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

In efforts to raise awareness, October is pedestrian safety month and here are some tips for pedestrians and drivers to keep in mind maintain self-traveling: 

• If you're at a crosswalk equipped with a pushbutton, 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.