‘Traumatic event’: Wife hospitalized after run over with vehicle in carjacking, husband says

ATLANTA (WGCL/Gray News) - An Atlanta woman is recovering after being part of a chaotic scene over the weekend.

Atlanta resident Michael Hill told WGCL about the incident involving his wife, Suzanne. He says she is lucky to be alive. The 59-year-old was leaving her home on July 16 when she was carjacked.

“You expect, in your mind, crime to happen late in the evening or at night, not right in the middle of the day,” Michael Hill said.

Surveillance video showed the 59-year-old getting out of her vehicle at the end of her driveway when a man ran up to her SUV and jumped inside.

A gunshot was heard in the video but Suzanne was not hit. The alleged carjacker is seen knocking her to the ground and then running her over with the vehicle before speeding off.

“It’s so upsetting, just to see how much pain she was in,” Michael Hill said. “My wife won’t ever be able to leave the house the same way again. It’s such a traumatic event.”

A neighbor spoke on the condition of anonymity and said she saw a group of young people with Suzanne’s vehicle shortly after the incident. She and several others waited with Suzanne until EMS arrived.

“I heard them saying they hit her,” the neighbor said. “I went down the street where Suzanne was lying. Several people were on the phone with 911. I was just focused on her and making sure that she kept talking.”

Michael Hill, who was at work, said he felt helpless seeing his wife suffer. She has a fractured skull and shoulder. Her legs, wrists, multiple ribs and hip are also broken.

“There are no internal organs that were damaged,” Michael Hill said. “And she didn’t have any brain trauma, which I’m incredibly thankful for.”

He said his wife likely wouldn’t walk on her own for at least six months and warned others to stay vigilant no matter where you are.

“I know people think the West End is a dangerous place,” Michael Hill said. “It’s not as dangerous as people think. But it can happen anywhere.”

Suzanne’s friends and family said they started a GoFundMe account to help cover her medical expenses as they say she does not have insurance through her bartending job.

The couple said they were planning a trip to Peru later this year to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary and Suzanne’s 60th birthday. That trip is currently on hold.

According to Atlanta police, two people were arrested in the incident after they led officers on a short chase in Suzanne’s vehicle. One of the people involved was a minor, and the other was identified as 20-year-old Courtney Hall. Both were charged with armed robbery.

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