Mother Launches Social Media Search for Hit-and-Run Driver
One post about the crash led to others, and now a Lake Forest mother is hoping to track down the driver
Lake Forest mother has turned to social networks for justice -- to help her find the driver who ran into her son October 6, as he was riding his bicycle -- then left the scene. NBC 4's Beverly White reports." />
Social networking isn't just for finding old friends and making new ones. A Lake Forest mother has turned to social networks for justice -- to help her find the driver who ran into her son October 6, as he was riding his bicycle -- then left the scene. NBC 4's Beverly White reports.
Cami Stanley earned her "Mama Bear" nickname by launching a social media effort to track down the hit-and-run driver who struck her son.
Nick Hargraves, 20, suffered tendon damage and road rash when he was hit by the driver of a Mercedes-Benz in Lake Forest. He was biking on El Toro Road and Rockfield Boulevard.
"She rolled her window down and said, 'Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you,'" he said. "She didn't get out or anything to see if I was ok."
Stanley's reaction?
"Absolute anger like nobody's seen," she said. "That's why I've done what I've done. I'm pissed. I'm a mom, 'Mama Bear' is what all my friends are calling me right now."
The Orange County Sheriff's Department is investigating, but Stanley launched her own attempt to find the driver by using Craigslist and Facebook. She posted a description of the crash and information about how people can help. Then, her contacts posted the information, too.
According to the OC Register:
Within 24 hours, hundreds of users had reposted Stanley's request for information on their Facebook pages. Stanley said she received a message from someone at Mercury Insurance saying more than 30 auto repair shops from San Juan Capistrano to Fountain Valley – including Fletcher Jones Mercedes dealership in Newport Beach – are watching for a car that might match the description.
"We're creating a voice for this son of mine," Stanley said. "It's not just a voice, we're screaming."
