OWINGS MILLS, Md. — At this point, Baltimore County Police say they're unsure why 21-year-old Daveyon Barnes crossed the busy five lanes of traffic across Reisterstown Road in Owings Mills, but they're also not sure why a car that hit him didn't stop.
"When a driver doesn't stop at the scene of a crash to try to render aid or to try to obtain aid by calling 911, they only compound the problem. A lot of times, it's not a driver's fault when someone steps out in front of the vehicle," Officer Jennifer Peach, a spokeswoman with the department, said.
RELATED: Police searching for hit and run driver involved in death of 21 year old on Reisterstown Road
Early conclusions from county police's crash team show Barnes was in the middle of the road around 11 p.m. on Friday night. A Kia Forte knocked him over and that's when Peach says a 'lighter-colored vehicle' smacked into Barnes.
"So the pedestrian was able to cross two lanes of traffic, then he was attempting to cross the southbound lanes of traffic. The first lane he entered into , he was struck by the Kia. Then he fell into the second lane, the outside of traffic, where he was struck again by the light colored sedan," Peach said.
The Kia stopped.
The driver of the second car kept going.
Barnes was taken to Shock Trauma where he died on Saturday. The 21-year-old had a stint playing basketball at Adelphi University in New York, but not before a high school career at Mount Saint Joseph's in Baltimore.
The school, including Barnes former basketball coach Pat Clatchey, sent a statement:
Statement from Mount Saint Joseph
The Mount Saint Joseph community is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our own brother, Daveyon “Doc” Barnes. Doc is a member of Mount Saint Joseph’s Class of 2016 and was on the varsity basketball team all four years of high school. Our prayers go out to Doc’s mother, other family members, and friends. We will rally around them and do our best to help them heal during this extremely difficult time.
Reflection from Basketball Coach Pat Clatchey
Doc had a very outgoing and contagious personality. He was well-liked and respected, and he had a unique ability to get along with people from all walks of life. On the basketball court, Doc played with energy, competitive spirit, and toughness. We are truly saddened by the passing of our brother and teammate.
It's a tragic end that police say didn't have to be as they look for this hit-and-run driver.
"That driver wouldn't have been responsible at all. There's no law that was broken for that driver until the driver drives away. Now there's laws that he's breaking, and that's the crime, as far as we can tell, in this situation," Peach said.
