Authorities in Bradley County have located the driver and vehicle believed to have been involved in a hit-and-run incident on U.S. Highway 64.
The drivers involved have not been named due to the ongoing investigation, according to a Bradley County Sheriff’s Office press release Wednesday evening. The suspected driver and vehicle were located after investigators received tips from the public.
The victim in the incident has been identified as Gina M. Lucht, 68, according to an updated press release issued Thursday.
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The incident happened about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 6000 block of U.S. Highway 64, police said in a press release Wednesday morning. The preliminary investigation indicated the pedestrian was struck by a black vehicle. The vehicle was believed to have sustained significant front-end damage.
Moments after the vehicle left the scene, authorities said, another motorist traveling through the area saw a person in the road who appeared to be injured and alive. The motorist attempted to turn around and block traffic, but couldn’t prevent a second vehicle from hitting the victim.
The victim later died.
The driver of the second vehicle to strike the pedestrian also has not been named.
“The only driver that left the scene was the initial driver,” department spokesperson Lt. Robert Jones said in an email Thursday. “Everyone else remained at the scene.”
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Bradley County authorities thank the community and fellow law enforcement agencies for their help in the investigation, the Wednesday evening press release said. The incident remains under investigation, and additional information will be released as it becomes available.
The scene of the incident on Highway 64 is about 2 miles west of the Polk County line.
Contact Southeast Tennessee reporter Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569.