Brown Avenue is the type of street where Cameron and Safiyah Wallace feel comfortable walking their dog without a leash.
That’s why the couple was so surprised to find Ohio University student Aaron Trout lying in front of their house early Wednesday, the victim of an apparent hit-and-run.
“We came out to have a cig, and we found him there,” Cameron said. “We didn’t see blood at first, but then there was a little of it in the street.”
Trout, 26, of Albany, was walking near 26 Brown Ave. at about 3:40 a.m. Wednesday when he was struck by a vehicle, which then fled the scene.
Cameron said he found some of Trout’s belongings farther up the street, suggesting the vehicle may have dragged him for several feet.
When police arrived on the scene, they found an intoxicated and “essentially unresponsive” Trout on the side of the road in the fetal position, according to a news release yesterday from Athens Police Department.
Trout was admitted to Grant Medical Center in Columbus in critical condition with a broken shoulder, broken pelvis and ten fractures of the ribs and foot, according to his Facebook page, which Trout has been regularly updating. As of yesterday, his condition was upgraded to fair.
“We didn’t see what happened,” Cameron said, “ … but earlier I did hear what sounded like a screech, something earlier on sounded like a car hitting a trash can.”
Cameron went on to say that vehicles and pedestrians regularly use the street, and there are rarely problems as long as the vehicle is traveling at a slower speed.
Brown Avenue is a narrow, one-way street with no sidewalks. Most of the houses on the street are on the road, forcing pedestrians onto the street at many points. A preliminary police report released Wednesday suggested the section of the street Trout was found on was not well-lit.
“This is a really quiet, small block,” Safiyah said. “It was late at night, but usually people are out on their porches around here. If anybody saw anything, they would say something right away.”
Athens police in yesterday’s release said they have no suspects and asked the public for help.
The release states, “due to the victim being unable to provide any details of the incident and the lack of any apparent witnesses, the Athens Police Department is requesting anyone who has information relating to this incident to contact the Athens Police Department at (740) 592-3313 or Crime Solvers Anonymous at (740) 594-3331.”
Trout is the son of Alan Trout and Athens County Clerk of Courts Ann Trout. Calls to the Trout residence Sunday were not returned.
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