NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) -
A pedestrian who suffered devastating injuries in a hit-and-run collision is outraged that the driver who struck her was only cited with a misdemeanor.
Joi Wilford said she doesn't remember a whole lot about the collision but does recall screaming for help for more than 10 hours before ending up in the hospital.
"I have to live with this everyday. I have to wake up in pain, barely moving, everyday," Wilford said.
It may be months before Wilford can walk again. She has broken bones in her legs, hip, neck and a serious brain injury.
"The only thing I do remember is screaming for help, for someone to help me, because I couldn't move," she said.
A pickup truck hit the 26-year-old as she walked to work on Old Due West Avenue in Hermitage in daylight
The driver kept going, and Wilford waited helplessly for 10 hours in a ditch until her family found her.
"I thought I would never see my kids again, and my kids are like my whole life," she said.
Now, two weeks after that crash, Metro police have finally identified the suspected hit-and-run driver.
Kenneth Burd, an 82-year-old man, was cited with a misdemeanor for leaving the scene of a crash and for failing to render aid or report the accident.
Wilford said she feels that is simply a slap on the wrist.
"If he knew, he possibly could have stopped or tried to reach out to me and help me - or try to get some kind of assistance - if he knew he did something wrong," Wilford said.
But, investigators point to Tennessee law, which states that if a driver leaves the scene of an injury crash, the punishment is a misdemeanor. However, if the victim dies, it becomes a felony.
The attorney for the elderly driver told Channel 4 News, "this was an accidental situation involving an 82-year-old man with significant health issues."
But, Wilford's family said there is no excuse for not stopping to help.
"When we found her, there was his headlights all over the place, so we know there was damage to his car. He knew he hit something. And for him not to even turn around, and keep going, what kind of medical condition do you have that you can just keep driving?" said cousin Patrice Wilford.
Surveillance video of the crash captured from a nearby apartment complex helped police identify the vehicle and the driver involved. He has voluntarily surrendered his license.
When asked if his client knew he hit the woman and why he waited to report it to police, the attorney would not answer.
Joi Wilford has undergone multiple surgeries, and doctors said she is expected to be in rehabilitation for at least eight months.
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Joi Wilford
