BELLINGHAM - The family of a Western Washington University freshman is now offering $4,000 for information leading to the identity of a driver who struck her last month in a hit and run incident.
MacKenzie O'Brien, 18, of Edmonds, and her friend Justine Phillipson, 19, were walking in the 900 block of Otis Street at 11 p.m. Jan. 18 when they were hit by a car without its headlights on. The car was last seen headed east on East Maple Street.
Doctors considered amputating O'Brien's arm. Emergency surgery at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle saved the limb. Phillipson suffered minor injuries and some short-term memory loss.
Up to 15 people saw the crash, police said. But only general descriptions of the suspect's vehicle have emerged: a boxy, older car with dark gray or dark green paint. Police have continued to investigate, rounding up security footage and tracking down witnesses.
O'Brien is recovering but still has no feeling in her right hand, said her father, David O'Brien. She'll have to miss at least a few months of classes at WWU.
Anyone with tips should contact Traffic Officer Henry Ortega at 360-778-8628.
RELATED LINKS
• Read more about the hit and run here.
• KOMO 4 aired this interview with O'Brien shortly after the hit and run.
Reach Caleb Hutton at 360-715-2276 or caleb.hutton@bellinghamherald.com. Read his dispatcher blog at blogs.bellinghamherald.com/dispatcher or follow him on Twitter at @bhamcrime.
