RUTLAND, Vt. -
Family members describe Deborah Campbell of Rutland as a loving, caring woman
"She was the most giving and loving person you could ask for," said Melissa Stearns, who's engaged to Campbell's son. "She'd give anybody anything and she'd do anything for anybody. And she didn't deserve for this to happen."
Stearns says Deborah pushed her husband Robert in his wheelchair around Rutland every day. Wednesday night, they were on their way home from picking up prescriptions at a local pharmacy.
"They were together 24-7," Stearns said. "She took care of him."
They were walking with traffic on Lincoln Ave when they were struck from behind. Deborah was forced forward onto the wheelchair, which protected her husband, but she later died from head trauma.
Now, police are now looking for both a red car and a mid-sized white SUV. Witnesses Tuesday night said they saw a white SUV fleeing the area after the crash. Police stopped one, but later determined it was the wrong SUV. Now they are asking the driver of the white SUV who left the crash scene to come forward, hoping the driver may have seen something.
"Because it was in the area at or around the time of the crash event, we would like to speak to the driver to see if they saw anything," Rutland City Police Sgt. John Sly said.
Sly says new evidence found on Deborah's pant leg paired with a red mark found on the wheelchair makes them more confident the car that struck and killed Deborah and injured her husband, Robert, was dark red or rust colored.
"Looking at the nature of the friction transfer it was not rough, so rather than being a rusty bumper we are leaning toward it was a painted surface," Sly explained.
Though some broken spokes of the wheelchair still lay on the side of the road, virtually no debris from the car was found at the scene. And police say they want you to be on the lookout for a red car with minor damage to its right side.
"Everything is designed to give now and absorb energy," Sly said. "Even though we didn't find pieces of the vehicle at the scene there still is going to be noticeable damage of the cracking of plastic pieces."
While police try to determine who did this, Deborah's family wants to know why.
"You took something irreplaceable," Stearns said. "Please just come forward so we can understand why and how it happened."
There is a sidewalk on Lincoln Ave, but it ends before the road ends and it's in horrible condition. Stearns says Deborah often complained about having to walk on the streets, but it was the only way she could push the wheelchair.
Deborah's family says they don't have enough money to buy Robert a new wheelchair or to cover funeral costs and are asking for donations to be sent to the Miller & Ketcham Funeral Home in Brandon.
26 Franklin Street
Brandon, VT 05733
802-247-5704
Related Story:
Deadly hit-and-run in Rutland
