by Chris Cannon
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The family of James Houchin moved him into hospice care Thursday night, nearly two weeks after he was hit by a car. Now they want to person who ran him down and left him for dead brought to justice.
"It was just devastating. We didn't know what to think. The first question was, what happened," said Houchin's niece Kendell Kirby.
Her family did not know at first how bad the situation was, but they quickly learned it was dire.
"He is torn up all on the outside, all on the inside," Kirby said.
Houchin spent the last two weeks at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. His family took him off life support earlier this week. Wednesday Houchin moved into hospice care because his injuries are too severe for him to recover.
Houchin was hit as he tried to cross Old Hickory Boulevard and Delaware Avenue in Madison on June 9 at 9:50 p.m.
No one at the scene was able to get a good description of the car that hit Houchin, but a police officer did spot a nearby car with damage.
"The officer was responding to this emergency call where a pedestrian was struck, therefore he did not try to stop that vehicle and at that point he was not aware it was a hit-and-run crash," said Metro Police Officer Don Davidson.
Officer Davidson said that car was a 2006 White Chevrolet Impala. It had a broken headlight and front end damage.
Metro Police have been unable to obtain any information about that car, or who was driving it that night.
"I don't see how anybody can do another human being the way he's been done. You don't just hit somebody and not stop," Kirby said.
Kirby said her family will not stop until there is justice for James Houchin.
"We are going to do whatever we got to do to find this person. So if there's anybody out there that saw anything if they would please come forward," according to Kirby.
Metro Police want to hear from anyone who might have seen the hit and run happen. They would also like to hear from body shop or scrap yard employees who have recently helped someone with a 2006 White Chevrolet Impala. Anyone with information can leave an anonymous tip by calling Crime Stoppers at 615-74-CRIME.
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