UPDATE:
VPD said the black charger they were searching for in this case has been located. VPD also said they have custody of the vehicle. The case is still under investigation.
Meanwhile, the Valdosta Touchdown Club is mourning the victim in this case, Samuel Johnson, Jr. They posted about his death on Facebook.
The football team also posted on social media about Johnson's death.
It is with a heavy heart that we ask you to pray for the family of Sam Johnson, Jr. We mourn the loss of a student athlete who was involved in a deadly accident last night. While we don’t know the details, we are heartbroken and devastated by this tragic loss. Rest in Peace, Sam pic.twitter.com/E2uGB42CsR
— Valdosta Wildcat Football (@24VHSFootball) December 11, 2023
ORIGINAL STORY:
- Valdosta Police say a teenager is dead after being hit by a vehicle over the weekend.
- VPD said it happened Saturday.
- See how you can help in the news release below.
VPD NEWS RELEASE:
We need the public's assistance in locating a vehicle that struck and killed a teenager over the weekend! Please come forward if you have ANY information!
On Saturday, December 9, 2023, at approximately 6:15 pm., a 16-year-old male, Samuel Johnson, Jr., was walking in the 3900 block of Inner Perimeter Road. Johnson saw a dog that had been hit by an unknown vehicle, so he went to assist the injured dog. While trying to rescue the injured dog, Johnson was struck and killed by second vehicle traveling through the area. The vehicle that struck Johnson did not stop.
Another citizen traveling through the area stopped when she saw a deceased dog in the roadway. While checking on the dog, she observed Johnson laying in the grass median, along with an additional injured dog. She immediately called E911. Valdosta Police Officers, Valdosta Fire Fighters, and Emergency Medical Services responded, but the teenager was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The Valdosta Police Department Traffic Unit, along with detectives and crime scene personnel responded to the scene and are continuing to investigate the incident. Through evidence collected at the scene, the offender vehicle has been identified as a dark in color Dodge Charger, between the years of 2011-2014. The vehicle should have damage to the driver’s side front bumper. It was last seen traveling in the area of Inner Perimeter Road and North Forrest Street Extension.
“We are asking for the public’s assistance in locating this vehicle and offender. It is unexplainable the callousness and disregard for human life that this offender has shown, by hitting this teenage victim and leaving him. My heart breaks for the family and friends of Mr. Johnson, who deserve answers as to why this happened to their loved one. If you know something, please say something. Our officers and detectives will not stop until they hold this offender accountable.” Said Chief Leslie Manahan
If anyone has any information, please contact the Valdosta Police Department Bureau of Investigative Services at 229-293-3145, the crime tip line at 229-293-3091, or file a tip online at www.valdostacity.com/police-department.
