Student injured in hit and run

Posted on October 22, 2009 by Jenny Anzelmo, Editor-in-Chief

A sergeant with the Lynchburg City Sherriff's office has been charged with a felony hit and run after his car collided with a Lynchburg College student, according to multiple news sources. The incident occurred around 12:50 a.m. Saturday morning Oct. 10, Public Information Officer Captain Brandon Zuidema of the Lynchburg Police Department said.

The car driven by Christian Meacham hit LC junior Quintin Aldridge of Fredericksburg, Va. while Meacham drove on College Street near Westwood drive, Lieutenant Alan J. Faircloth of the LPD said.

"Oh my god, it just happened so fast," said junior Courtney Brewer who witnessed the accident. "We were all just standing there and talking singing ‘Party in the USA' and the next thing you know we heard a car...[it] swerved over to the left [lane] and we heard a thud and...[Aldridge] was down on the ground."

Following the collision Meacham moved his vehicle to a parking lot near College Street and Westwood Ave, Faircloth said.

"My automatic thing was to go chase the car down," Brewer said.

Brewer said she talked to Meacham and the passengers in the car once the car was parked near the Crews and Reynolds Courts.

"When I got to the car he didn't even realize he hit someone," Brewer said. "It looked like they were parking to go out or something."

Faircloth said Meacham walked back to the scene where he briefly spoke with Aldridge before leaving the scene on foot, but Brewer said Meacham never returned to the scene or spoke with Aldridge.

"The driver never came over and talked to [Aldridge]," Brewer said.

After confronting Meacham and his passengers Brewer said she walked back up the street to Aldridge where sophomore Annie Terry was on the phone with 911.

Brewer said she provided a description of Meacham and his license plate number to LCCSS and LPD officers. Meacham had three passengers in the car who were able to identify him for police, Faircloth said.

"They asked me what he looked like and what the license plate was," Brewer said. "I got the license plate number and kept repeating it in my head."

Aldridge, who transferred to LC to play basketball, sustained minor injuries from the collision, according to multiple news sources.

Aldridge would not comment for this article while things are being worked out with insurance.

"[Meacham] is no longer with our agency," Chief Deputy Don Sloan of the Lynchburg City Sheriff's Office said.

Meacham could not be reached for comment.

No other charges are pending at this time. Due to time frame of incident and the interview with Meacham Faircloth said they are "unable to determine" if Meacham was under the influence of alcohol or any other substances at the time of the collision.

A hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Dec. 15, 2009, according to the Virginia Courts Case Information website.