A St. Petersburg woman is clinging to life in the hospital and the driver FHP troopers say smashed into her car and took off, is already out of jail.
62-year-old Anne Turner nearly lost her life Tuesday and investigators say the man who hit her, 31-year-old Darrell Lamarcus Cutliff, should have never been on the road because he was driving with a suspended license.
Turner is barely recognizable to her boyfriend, Bruce Myers. Her neck, shoulder, jaw, and spine were all crushed in the accident. She has two black eyes and is not able to communicate.
“I cringe looking at her. She looks awful,” Myers said.
Anne Turner’s niece, Michele Turner tells us it's amazing her aunt is alive. “They didn't think she would make it but my aunt is a fighter."
It'll be months before Turner gets out of the hospital, and as she awaits four surgeries, the man charged with hitting her is already out of jail.
“That's sad to let someone like that loose on the road again,” Myers added.
In surveillance video obtained by FHP from a nearby motorcycle shop, you can see Turner take a left into the path of what investigators say is Cutliff. As the two collide, Cutliff pauses for a moment then keeps going.
“I think he’s a coward. He may have had something on his record but he should have at least stopped to check on her or call 911,” Michele Turner explained.
Investigators say Cutliff was driving with a suspended license. His friends and family tell ABC Action News they don’t believe he did anything wrong. He was simply afraid to get another ticket. “He left the scene of the accident. He was scared,” an unidentified friend of Cutliff told us.
Troopers say Cutliff ditched the car at his girlfriend's house in Pinellas Park and covered it with a tarp. The next day, he turned himself in and bonded out of jail with $5,250.
“That's actually really sad. I think he should have spent some time in jail and i hope he does,” Michele Turner added.
Turner's loved ones say they couldn’t be more thankful that she’s pulling through. “I’m just grateful she's still alive,” Michele elaborated.
Making this even harder for Turner’s family, the hospital told them her medical bills could be extremely expensive and they’re not sure how much insurance will cover.
Cutliff was charged with one count each of leaving the scene of a crash with serious injuries and driving while license suspended.
The crash happened about 10:38 a.m. Tuesday (Nov. 14) at the intersection of 49th Street and 46th Avenue N.
