Hit-and-Run Victim: 'I Deserve Answers and Someone to Come Forward'

The Puyallup teen who was hit by a car last week said Thursday she wants the driver to do the “right thing” and come forward.

“Why would you think it’s OK to hit me like that and then take off?” Chloe Williams, 15, said in a brief session with reporters in her room at Tacoma General Hospital. “It’s frustrating to know that the person is out there, and they are still walking around fine and I’m [in the hospital].”

The ninth-grader at Aylen Junior High in Puyallup said she was buying a pack of gum at Golden Rule Grocery just before a white van struck her in a marked crosswalk.

She suffered serious injuries, including a broken right femur and deep bruises and scrapes on her hands.

The 15-year-old underwent a successful major surgery last weekend and remains hospitalized due to her injuries.

There are currently no suspects related to this incident.

The investigators at the Puyallup Police Department said there were no immediate witnesses and they are working with two surveillance videos—one from the grocery store and another obtained from Puyallup High School, according to Capt. Scott Engle.

However, due to the limited quality of the footage, authorities are hoping the public can provide tips that will lead them to the hit-and-run suspect.

“This is a case about the public helping us out and somebody out there knows something,” Engle said. “They’ve seen something and hopefully they’ll listen to their conscience and integrity and come forward to let us know.”

So far, police are looking for a large white SUV that was traveling east in the 600 block of West Stewart Avenue just before 7:30 p.m.

“I remember crossing the street and then a car waiting and letting me cross,” Chloe said. “I thought the next car was going to let me cross but then I looked up and it was the white SUV. That’s all I remember.”

Despite the tragedy, Chloe said she’s making sure to stay positive.

“You kind of have to,” she said. “[But] sometimes I do get really angry and really frustrated.”

“Chloe is passionate to understand why it happened and why someone would leave her there after what they’ve done,” Engle said.

“If anyone knows anything about what had happened to me, please come forward because it’s frustrating not having anyone or any answers,” she said.

Police have not yet determined how fast the car was traveling when it hit Chloe, but Engle said there is a possibility that the vehicle was damaged from the impact.

“You can’t hit a person and not know that,” he said.

“I, as a person, deserve to have answers and deserve to have someone come forward,” she said.

While Chloe has a long road of recovery ahead, she said she’s looking forwarding to shopping and getting coffee with her friends.

“I have a lot of support and I’m blessed to have the people in my life that I do,” said Chloe, whose mom described her as an outgoing and active kid who enjoys playing soccer and swimming.

A trust fund under Chloe’s name will be set up later Thursday at any Bank of America location, and all proceeds will go directly to Chloe Williams.

Puyallup Police are asking anyone with information about the hit-and-run incident to call the department Tip Line at 253-770-3343.