Police Find Car That May Be Responsible for Hit-And-Run: Police

Carol Lord, a P.E. teacher, nearly lost her foot in the hit-and-run collision

 Police say they have picked up a car they believe may be the suspect vehicle involved in a hit-and-run that left a San Diego P.E. teacher crumpled on the ground with a nearly severed foot. 

Carol Lord, a P.E. teacher at Alice Birney Elementary School, was riding her bike at Clairemont Drive and Galveston Street on Thursday, Sept. 17 when a sedan swerved into the bike lane to pass another car, striking Lord, according to her husband Steve. The collision left Carol with a compound fracture and dislocated ankle. 

 Police said Wednesday the damage the discovered car sustained is consistent with evidence from the crash, which includes a missing mirror. They said the car responsible for the hit-and-run was a dark metallic blue 2005 to 2009 Buick LaCrosse and likely had damage to the front bumper, hood and fender. 

Police said they have reached out to the car’s owner. The owner has obtained an attorney and police expect to hear back from that attorney Thursday. The manager of Caliber Collision in Pacific Beach, where the car was found, told NBC 7 the owner said he had hit a pole.

“[The detective] said with 100% confidence that they have matched the mirror left at the scene to the car at a collision scene,” said Steve Lord, the victim’s husband.

Carol Lord is recovering well just days after the accident that nearly severed her foot. She is able to move her toes, but says the road to recovery will be a long one both physically and emotionally.

“It’s when my mind has no other stimulus so I keep replaying things over and over in my mind,” she said.

Both Steve and Carol simply want authorities to find the person responsible so he or she can be held accountable.

“I don’t even want a sorry. I just want them to say yeah I did this. Having that person out on the road and not taking responsibility meaning he can do it again,” Carol said.

A surgeon at Scripps La Jolla Hospital was able to essentially reattach her nearly severed foot to her ankle.

Now comes the recovery, which Steve expects won’t be pretty. Sitting isn’t exactly Carol’s thing.

“This is going to be hard on her,” he said. “She’s not a good patient in that regard, and nobody should have to go through this. Nobody.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Traffic Division Detective Heidi Hawley at (858) 495-7811. 

Contact Us