HENRICO, Va. (WTVR) - Police markings are still present in the spot where 18-year-old Kara Rivers died after being hit by a car along Patterson Avenue Tuesday night.
“My boyfriend told me last night, from Lauderdale to Pump was closed down," said Kristen Mayberry, one of Rivers’ friends. "He said, 'it looks like somebody got hit and I didn't find out until today.'”
Just hours after the accident, those who knew Rivers best, left a wooden cross along the road where she died.
"I was just shocked. I started crying," said Mayberry. "I mean, she was just a really great friend and I mean, it happened to such a great friend and she was so young.”
Mayberry also said Rivers worked at the Burger King along Patterson Avenue, about two miles from her apartment.
Henrico Police told CBS 6 News that during her walk home from work Tuesday night, she was allegedly hit by Reginald Addo, who just kept driving.
Addo was later captured by police and charged with felony hit and run as well as driving on a suspended license.
"It's just frightening honestly. So, I don't want to even think about her being hit by a car and flown. I don't even want to deal with that,” said Mayberry.
"We didn't want to talk about it because we don't know who knows and doesn't know," said Jonathan Bailey, Rivers’ swim coach at Tuckahoe Village Recreation Association.
Bailey said that instead of talking with his swimmers about Rivers’ death, he’ll just keep thinking about her radiant smile and her dedication to swimming, which is something she’s done since the age of 10.
"I immediately just thought about practice and every time I see her swimming and the image that popped in my mind was her on the wall and smiling," said Bailey. "That was tough, that was sad."
Police would not say if speed or alcohol were factors in this crash.
