Hit-and-run driver hits women sitting on bench

FLOWER MOUND, Texas - Police are looking for the driver who plowed into two women on a bench and left before help arrived.

A security camera caught the close call that happened earlier this month near Gloria’s Latin Cuisine on Justin Road in Flower Mound.

Co-workers Carla Howell and Diane Spinuzzi were sitting on the bench during their lunch hour when a man pulled up in a newer model Kia Optima. Video shows him slowly pulling into a parking space and then accelerating and jumping the curb, slamming into the bench they were sitting on.

The bumper hit Howell's leg as she was pushing Spinuzzi away from the car at the moment it crushed the bench where they were sitting. The women were able to walk away from the accident. They were taken to the hospital and treated for minor injuries.

Police said the hit-and-run driver initially got out of his car and acted as if he was going to cooperate. But as soon as he was alone, he took off. Police aren’t sure if the driver was impaired or had a medical issue.

Both of his victims saw the restaurant surveillance video for the first time on Thursday.

“I just remember one minute he's coming at us. Next minute, I'm by the door in pain. My rib hurts. My hip hurts. What happened?” recalled Spinuzzi.

Flower Mound police say the car is a Kia Optima or Cadenza and didn’t have a front license plate.

What raises even more suspicion is that the same driver pulled into the same parking spot about a minute before the crash, then left and returned.

The man is described as a white male in his 50s who is about 6 feet tall. On the day of the accident, he was wearing a gray polo shirt and gray or brown cargo shorts with flip flops. His car likely has light damage to the front bumper, especially on the driver’s side.

Anyone with information about the suspect is encouraged to call Det. Devin York at 972-874-6507. Anonymous tips can also be made by calling 972-874-3307.