From The Banner · Antonio Planas · · 1m 30s
Hit, then he checked his bumper and left
A Baltimore paralegal was launched into the air in a crosswalk, and the driver stopped only to inspect his own car.
In brief
A Baltimore paralegal was launched into the air in a crosswalk, and the driver stopped only to inspect his own car. Surveillance video is often the only thing that keeps a hit-and-run from becoming one person's word against nobody's. Originally reported by The Banner.
A crosswalk, 9 a.m.
Riah Luby, a 26-year-old paralegal from Parkville, was walking to work through the crosswalk at Charles and Fayette streets on Sept. 3 when an SUV hit her.
Thrown into the air
The impact sent Luby and her belongings flying. She landed with bruises, road rash and a deep contusion on her left shin, then got back on her feet.
“I rolled off this guy's car pretty hard”
He checked the car, not her
The driver pulled into a bus lane on Fayette Street, stepped out, looked over the front passenger side of his vehicle, got back in and drove off.
“He just got out of his car for a second and then took off.”
Wearing an MTA vest
Surveillance footage shows the driver in a yellow Maryland Transit Administration vest as he inspected the SUV before leaving the scene.
Strangers stopped to help
Several bystanders rushed over, including her colleague Jack Stephenson, who was walking nearby and saw the whole thing.
“She flew up and got back up. I was like, 'holy moly.'”
A coworker found the tape
Stephenson, a paralegal at the same firm, tracked down video from a nearby building. His work handles motor vehicle cases, and chasing the footage felt automatic.
“Chasing every lead down is important to kind of paint the picture of what happened.”
No answers from officials
X-rays showed no fractures, but Luby is still sore and wants the driver charged. Baltimore Police, the MTA and state transportation officials did not respond to questions.
“He's clearly just a danger to society if that's typical driving behavior from this guy.”
The short version
Surveillance video is often the only thing that keeps a hit-and-run from becoming one person's word against nobody's.


