x
Breaking News
More () »

'This was our family vacation time' | Alpharetta hit-and-run victim recovering, driver still on the run

The Alpharetta Department of Public Safety released new video in the hopes of finding the driver of the gray Honda Civic, who hit two people in downtown Alpharetta.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Jennifer Okray traveled to Georgia from Illinois with her two kids, on a family trip.

She says that within 12 hours of arriving, she got hit by a vehicle while crossing at the intersection of Milton Avenue and North Main Street in Alpharetta the early hours of May 30th.

Now, the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety has released surveillance video in the hopes of finding the driver of the gray four-door Honda Civic, who hit two people in downtown Alpharetta.

"I'm very grateful to anyone who would come forward with any information that would help solve whoever did this," Okray said in a phone conversation from her hospital bed with 11Alive's Paola Suro. "This is a massive disruption to not only me but my kids. This doesn't just affect me... but my work, my family, my kids, my job, my coworkers... everybody."

RELATED: College Park police officer recovering after being struck by teen in stolen SUV

Jennifer has been in a local hospital since the incident the morning of May 30th. Her return flight home this coming Sunday is now postponed for weeks as she recovers.

An online fundraiser created by Jennifer's coworker says the mother-of-two "has a broken foot, sprained ankle, concussion, head lacerations, broken leg, 2 fractures in her pelvis, 5 spinal fractures, and many broken teeth" in relation to this incident.

"I need to be transported back home eventually," she said. "There are medical bills, there will be medical equipment, substantial loss of income and making sure my children are cared for... that's what the GoFundMe page was set up for."

Alpharetta police officer Jeff Ross says that according to the video surveillance they were able to gather, the driver did have a green light and had the right of way, but since they drove away, that person could now face jail time and hit-and-run charges.

"The interesting thing about this case, is if that driver would've stopped, based on the information we have right now, it would've been an incident where the pedestrians would've been cited for crossing the crosswalk at an inappropriate time, but since he struck the pedestrians and failed to stop, it becomes a hit and run situation at this point," Ross said.

Jennifer says she is thankful for the police department as they work to find the person responsible, and grateful for the paramedics and medical staff caring for her.

"It's going to be several weeks of hospitalized recovery they anticipate, and then several weeks of rehab and several months before all the bones are healed," she said.

Okray says she also is appreciative of those who have donated to her fundraiser, which she would've never had in the first place, until her coworker suggested to do so.

"I don't like to ask for help... I don't like to be in a position to need help, but the person who set it up was talking to me saying everybody needs help sometimes," she said. "You need to accept help with grace when you're in a situation, particularly this one. She said - and it struck with me - this is a journey of acceptance and that was very profound in many ways."

Officer Ross said that downtown Alpharetta is usually busy on weekend nights, and urges the public to be aware of their surroundings and traffic signals.

"Especially now a days it's very common what you see with drivers, pedestrians... everyone has their face on their phone," he said. "Just be aware of your surroundings and traffic signals. Nothing like this has happened to my knowledge anytime recently so this is kind of a one-off situation."

If you have any information about the accident or can identify the owner of this vehicle call their tip line at 678-297-6307.

To donate to the online fundraiser for Jennifer's medical expenses, click here.

Before You Leave, Check This Out