Seattle, WA
Professional pet sitter struck by hit-and-run driver while taking cat for a walk
Seattle pet sitter recovering from hit-and-run
A 73-year-old professional dog walker and pet-sitter from Seward Park is still recovering in the hospital after a hit-and-run driver nearly killed her on Christmas Day.
SEATTLE – A 73-year-old professional dog walker and pet-sitter from Seward Park is still recovering in the hospital after a hit-and-run driver nearly killed her on Christmas Day.
Witnesses who found Karen Miely injured say the driver hit her near 52nd Ave South and Orcas Street, then sped away.
“It’s been kind of a haze actually, an awful lot to untangle,” said Miely.
She spoke to us from her hospital bed on Friday.
“It’s been hard, and I have this neck brace and my neck also has some trauma to it,” said Miely.
The pet caretaker was taking her own cat, “Maximus Rex”, out for his nightly walk.
“He’s a big guy. He’s probably about 15 lbs,” said Miely. He’s pictured below:
Since “Max” is particular, the two took advantage of the drier evening.
“He kind of doesn’t like rain that much,” said Miely. “He just likes having his mom spend time with him.”
However, the holiday turned into a nightmare for both of them.
“My cat must have witnessed the whole thing, the poor guy,” said Miely.
The crash, which happened sometime around 7 p.m., left Miely with broken legs and a shattered pelvis, among other injuries.
“We are just waiting to see how things heal up,” said Karen, who’s already had surgery to repair some of the damage.
“It was terrifying,” said Maura Wahlen, a neighbor who heard the crash.
Whalen’s family of four had just sat down for Christmas dinner when they heard the impact.
“Literally saying what we were grateful for, and we heard a loud crash-impact. Didn’t know what it was. All four of us jumped up from the table,” said Wahlen. “My husband and I ran out. He was the first to get to her.”
Whalen said her daughter called 911, and they stayed with Miely until the EMT’s and police officers arrived. Whalen said both the officers who responded and the paramedics were “fantastic,” adding they were on scene quickly.
Karen says she knew Ruth Dalton, another dog walker who died after she was attacked and run over in August. She even attended Ruth’s memorial service.
“That was just a shock when I heard what had happened to her. It really felt personal,” said Miely.
The driver that hit Miely not only left her battered and broken, but also took away her ability to make a living through her business, Seattle Tails.
“It hit me in the biggest week of the year. My customers have been great, but wow,” she said.
Friends and loved ones have created an online fundraiser for Miely to help with her unexpected expenses and rehabilitation.
Another silver lining is that Max the cat survived, and wasn’t injured.
“He’s really good at self-preservation, so I’m sure he just took off whenever it happened,” said Miely, who says Max is back home and being cared for. “I tried to get him on Facetime but we only got me.”
She’s hoping someone has security video of the driver or the car that evening, so she can get some answers.
“I guess it’s a blessing you really don’t remember that kind of trauma,” said Miely.
Neighbors say, in general, the intersection has poor visibility and there have been crashes there before. They were not surprised that a crash happened there.
FOX 13 reached out to Seattle Police on Friday evening for an update on the case. Spokesperson Eric Munoz says the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad is on the case. Munoz says that so far no arrests have been made and there has not been a suspect identified.
Anyone that has security video from the area of 52nd Ave S. and Orcas Street at around 7 p.m. on December 25th is encouraged to contact Seattle Police.
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