Family Of Grandmother Killed In Tulsa Hit And Run Asks For Help

STORY UPDATE: Tulsa Man Found Not Guilty In Death Of 70-Year-Old Woman

A hit-and-run driver killed a Tulsa grandmother Wednesday night. Police say the driver was speeding, ran a red light, and hit and killed 70-year-old Vernetta Colbert and then ran away.

Messages from Vernetta’s family are flooding Facebook. One post made by the victim’s son said, “The woman in the car was my mother she is a very good and cautious driver so please don’t judge her without having knowledge of her. This happened last night between 8:30-9:30 pm. I am asking for anyone who knows anything to please step forward!! Please share this with everyone help us find him so we can have justice for her.”

“They are trying to figure out what to do next,” Tulsa Police Corporal J.D. Curran said, “Their mother has been taken from them, their grandmother has been taken from them."

Police say Vernetta was hit by a driver in a Dodge Charger who was speeding and ran a red light. They say the crash was so violent, it set off the airbags in both cars.

"From talking to the family, she seems to be a sweet, lovable woman," said Tulsa Police Corporal J.D. Curran.

Police say the driver of the Charger took off running, leaving their car at the scene.

"This lady was driving down the street minding her own business, returning to her home, and all the sudden she is not here anymore because of careless actions of an individual," said Tulsa Police Corporal J.D. Curran.

Officers spent hours searching the Dodge Charger. They say they found insurance information and some crash data from the car’s black box. Police will send the airbag from the Charger to the lab to be tested for DNA.

Police say there is a possibility the insurance information found in the Charger doesn’t match the person who was driving the car the night of the crash. In the meantime, they are chasing down leads and interviewing witnesses, hoping to find the person responsible.

They are asking anyone who took video on their phones, saw the crash, or even drove up on it, to call Crime Stoppers.

“We would love to hear from any of the witnesses out there," said Tulsa Police Corporal J.D. Curran.