Police looking for hit-and-run driver who struck jogger on Richmond Avenue

STORY UPDATED: 12:30 p.m.

Police are trying to locate the driver of a vehicle that struck a jogger on Richmond Avenue near the Blind School at 5:09 a.m., Friday.

Batavia PD is unable to provide a vehicle description or information on whether the vehicle was damaged. 

A Good Samaritan who stopped to assist the jogger, Rosemary Demske, did not see the vehicle that struck her. He thinks.

Glen Enouen, an employee of Scalia's Landscaping who was working that morning driving a snowplow truck, said he was heading back to his route after going to the company's shop on Bank Street Road to repair a plow controller. Heading back, he turned the corner on Richmond and found a car stopped in the middle of the road.

The driver told him a woman had just been struck by a car.

He said he and the other man helped Demske into his plow truck and Enouen proceeded to call 9-1-1.

Asked if the car driver might have been the driver who struck Demske, he said he didn't know. 

"Other than he said, 'don't bother with the phone' and he didn't stick around, I don't know," Enouen said. He said the driver disappeared as soon as he heard sirens.

"I didn't see him leave," Enouen said. "I heard the sirens, looked around and he was gone."

Enouen said he didn't take a good look at the car.

"I didn't have any reason at the time to look deeper than helping that lady out," Enouen said.

A family member said Demske and her husband, John, are avid joggers. 

"They both are very generous with their time volunteering in the community," said her sister-in-law, Michele Bettendorf. "Rosemary is a special education aide in the Batavia School District. She also volunteers at the Genesee Animal Shelter and is involved in their Pet Therapy Program. She is an active member of Resurrection Parish serving as Eucharistic Minister/RCIA Instructor."

When Demske was struck she was thrown to the other side of the street, Bettendorf said.

She suffered a broken tibia, her entire left side was bruised and she has two black eyes, Bettendorf said.

"Rosemary is very thankful that he (Enouen) was there to help her," Bettendorf said.  

Anyone with information that may assist in the investigation is asked to call Batavia PD at (585) 345-6350 and ask to speak with a supervisor any time of day or night.

In a press release, police officials said, "As a reminder to residents please keep sidewalks shoveled for pedestrians. Pedestrians please use sidewalks and if you have to be on the roadway walk facing traffic with reflective outerwear."