Police say 68-year-old Celeste Staten was killed crossing Whalley Avenue.
New Haven Police continue to search for the driver who left a New Haven woman to die this weekend.
Detectives say 68-year-old Celeste Staten was looking for her dog early Sunday morning when she was hit by at least one car.
Police say Staten was killed crossing Whalley Avenue between Davis and Anthony streets.
They said it happened just after 1:30 a.m. Sunday and they’re looking to see if two other vehicles also hit her and continued on traveling.
“She was a year younger than me. Wow, that’s terrible,” said Diane Moss of Waterbury, who said she used to live right down the road from where the deadly crash occurred.
Moss tells us she remembers vividly comforting a young girl who was killed crossing in this same area in 2008. In that instance, she said the driver fled, too.
“You have to know you’ve hit someone, it’s not like a bump in the road or a squirrel or something. This is a human being," Moss said.
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Meanwhile, there’s a group of New Haven residents who have been advocating for safer streets.
“There’s this sense of deja vu, it keeps happening over and over again in the same places. We’ve seen so many fatal crashes on Whalley,” said Carolyn Lusch, an organizer with Safe Streets New Haven.
While the coronavirus crisis has slowed down concrete changes they’ve hoped to see, they’re asking anyone driving through the city to show some respect.
“I know people can get a little bit numb to their commute, but their commute is our community," Lusch said.
New Haven Police said Staten’s dog approached an officer during the hit and run investigation.
The dog was taken to a local shelter, as they continue to investigate who killed the dog’s owner.
Police said they have located a vehicle that's bumper was found at the scene.
They ask anyone with information about the crash to give them a call. You can do so anonymously by calling 1-866-888-TIPS (8477) or 203-946-6296. You can also text “NHPD" plus your message to 274637 (CRIMES) or email ECIC@newhavenct.gov.
