A man state troopers believe may have been struck by a car early New Year' Day was released from the hospital Friday, but says he doesn't really remember what happened.
James Calvin Harris, 22, B&D Lane, Brooklet, was walking home after a fight with his girlfriend early New Year's Day, and apparently was struck by a car, he said.
"I was walking home, because it is illegal to drive drunk," he said Friday as he prepared to be dismissed from East Georgia Regional Medical Center. He said he was walking along Brooklet-Leefield Road near Summer Winds subdivision, and somehow injured his ankle and was walking in the ditch. Then, "the next thing I knew I was on the left side of the road with no shoes on," he said.
He tried standing, but could not, he said. At first he felt nothing, but after attempts to stand and walk, the pain enveloped him.
He tried crawling to a nearby residence, but that wasn't working either. He looked down and saw his hand bleeding profusely. "I couldn't even crawl," he said. So, as car after car passed his broken body, Harris lay there and lifted his injured hand into the air, hoping someone would see and help him.
Several cars did pass, but no one stopped. Then, Ryan Burroughs drove past, saw "something waving" - and continued on his way.
"I didn't know what it was," he said, adding that he thought it was a prank or a joke. "I wasn't going to stop, but I got to thinking about it and turned around. Sure enough, it was somebody."
Burrough's first thought was that Harris had been hit by a car. He offered to call 911, but Harris just asked him to take him home, where friends could take him to the hospital. As he helped Harris into his vehicle, Burroughs noted that Harris' bleeding ankle and leg had a bone protruding through the skin.
"I could tell he was in pain," Burroughs said. "At first I thought it was ... somebody messing with people, you know how teenagers and kids are. Then something just told me I needed to go back and check."
"Twenty cars passed, and none stopped," Harris recalled, thinking about the night he lay stricken beside the road, unable to help himself. Later, he learned he had dislocated his ankle, broke several bones and had four screws and plates put into his legs after two surgeries.
It was a heavy blow, he said. The entire previous year he had been unable to work due to a hand injury sustained while working.
He wishes he knew why the person who hit him did not stop.
"I just want to ask, why didn't you at least drop me off at somebody's house" he said. "They were probably drunk, but they could have at least dropped me off..."
Harris had left his girlfriend's house around 1 a.m., and Burroughs found him after 4 a.m., he said.
Burroughs said it bothered him that no one before him stopped t o help Harris. "It hurt my feelings that people did not stop."
Georgia State Patrol reports do not list details of the accident, except to state there is "no vehicle linked" to the hit-and-run.
Anyone with information about Harris' accident is asked to contact GSP Sgt. First-Class J. M. Lamb at 912-688-6999, Holli Deal Bragg may be reached at 489-9414.
James Calvin Harris, 22, B&D Lane, Brooklet, was walking home after a fight with his girlfriend early New Year's Day, and apparently was struck by a car, he said.
"I was walking home, because it is illegal to drive drunk," he said Friday as he prepared to be dismissed from East Georgia Regional Medical Center. He said he was walking along Brooklet-Leefield Road near Summer Winds subdivision, and somehow injured his ankle and was walking in the ditch. Then, "the next thing I knew I was on the left side of the road with no shoes on," he said.
He tried standing, but could not, he said. At first he felt nothing, but after attempts to stand and walk, the pain enveloped him.
He tried crawling to a nearby residence, but that wasn't working either. He looked down and saw his hand bleeding profusely. "I couldn't even crawl," he said. So, as car after car passed his broken body, Harris lay there and lifted his injured hand into the air, hoping someone would see and help him.
Several cars did pass, but no one stopped. Then, Ryan Burroughs drove past, saw "something waving" - and continued on his way.
"I didn't know what it was," he said, adding that he thought it was a prank or a joke. "I wasn't going to stop, but I got to thinking about it and turned around. Sure enough, it was somebody."
Burrough's first thought was that Harris had been hit by a car. He offered to call 911, but Harris just asked him to take him home, where friends could take him to the hospital. As he helped Harris into his vehicle, Burroughs noted that Harris' bleeding ankle and leg had a bone protruding through the skin.
"I could tell he was in pain," Burroughs said. "At first I thought it was ... somebody messing with people, you know how teenagers and kids are. Then something just told me I needed to go back and check."
"Twenty cars passed, and none stopped," Harris recalled, thinking about the night he lay stricken beside the road, unable to help himself. Later, he learned he had dislocated his ankle, broke several bones and had four screws and plates put into his legs after two surgeries.
It was a heavy blow, he said. The entire previous year he had been unable to work due to a hand injury sustained while working.
He wishes he knew why the person who hit him did not stop.
"I just want to ask, why didn't you at least drop me off at somebody's house" he said. "They were probably drunk, but they could have at least dropped me off..."
Harris had left his girlfriend's house around 1 a.m., and Burroughs found him after 4 a.m., he said.
Burroughs said it bothered him that no one before him stopped t o help Harris. "It hurt my feelings that people did not stop."
Georgia State Patrol reports do not list details of the accident, except to state there is "no vehicle linked" to the hit-and-run.
Anyone with information about Harris' accident is asked to contact GSP Sgt. First-Class J. M. Lamb at 912-688-6999, Holli Deal Bragg may be reached at 489-9414.