“It’s just unthinkable to even have to even witness it, but to also see them just laying in the road and for somebody to just drive off and not stop at all is unfathomable,” one of the witnesses said. “I just can’t comprehend that.”
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — On Monday, Metro police announced that they’re looking for a man they believe has information about a hit-and-run crash.
Over the weekend, a child was hit while riding a scooter in the bike lane on Nolensville Pike with her mother. A speeding car hit them and just kept going. Police identified the victim as 10-year-old Emily Sanchez-Ramirez.
“We were just casually sitting at a red light,” explained Ali Sharma, who was visiting Nashville for a concert. “Out of the corner of my eye, I see somebody’s riding a scooter. By that point, I was like, ‘There’s a kid on it.’ At that point, a car just flew by and it was just a flash of red. It was just so sudden.”
However, reality quickly set in for Sharma and Lynze Pickett, who was with her, as they watched the entire crime unfold.
“It’s just unthinkable to even have to even witness it, but to also see them just laying in the road and for somebody to just drive off and not stop at all is unfathomable,” Pickett said. “I just can’t comprehend that.”
On Saturday, Oct. 5, Sanchez-Ramirez, accompanied by her 28-year-old mother, was riding an electric scooter headed north toward Paragon Mills Road in the southbound bike lane of Nolensville Pike. Officials said a red Nissan traveling at a high speed entered the bike lane, struck the pair, and continued down Nolensville Pike without stopping.
“There’s just not really a moment where you’re not thinking about it…” Sharma added, holding back tears. “Had I known that she was going to pass, I would have held her just held onto her.”
On Sunday, authorities announced that Sanchez-Ramirez died at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt as a result of her injuries. Additionally, her mother was upgraded to critical condition and remains at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
“It’s just unfathomable how you can leave a baby — a child — just on the ground like she’s nothing and I know there was nothing her and I could do,” Sharma said.
On Monday, MNPD announced via social media that a tip led police to find a red Nissan matching the description of the suspect vehicle. The car was found on Radnor Street. A man named Daneri Varela is wanted for questioning, officials added.
“It’s a very sad situation, nothing surprising,” Metro Councilmember Sandra Sepulveda told News 2. “Nolensville Pike is something that has needed to be addressed for a very long time.”
The crash has shed a light on the area, which has long been considered to be one of the deadliest streets in Nashville. Last year, Nashville received $13 million in federal funds given to the transportation safety improvement project, “We are Nolensville Pike”.
“‘We Are Nolensville Pike’ is a project that’s part of our ‘Vision Zero’ effort. It’s along Nolensville between McCall Street and Hayward Lane,” Diana Alarcon, the director of the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT), said.
The project is part of the city’s effort to achieve zero fatalities and serious injuries on Nashville roadways, including Nolensville Pike— a stretch of road where several deadly traffic incidents have been reported.
“This was a 10-year-old with their whole life ahead of them and they were just trying to get by,” Sepulveda added. “They were in a bike lane, somewhere where they should be safe, and this is something that we see every day.”
Anyone with information about the hit-and-run has been asked to call Nashville Crime Stoppers at (615) 742-7463.