HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – The family and childhood friend of a woman, who was on life support Sunday in preparation for organ donation, speak out after the woman was struck by a hit-and-run driver in Crosby.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office said Paige Balinski, 23, was riding her bicycle northbound in the 14800 block of FM 2100 around 2 a.m. Saturday when she was hit from behind by a white 1999 Jeep Cherokee. Deputies said the driver did not stop, leaving the critically injured woman in a ditch.
Surveillance video shows the SUV driving by and then a person running after it.
Paige Balinski wasn't alone, investigators said she was with a friend and headed home from an Applebee's restaurant before being hit.
Hillary Valverde was not the friend biking with Paige, but she was one of the first on the scene. Valverde said she and Paige Balinkski were close childhood friends.
"I just went to her side, and I held her hand," Valverde said.
According to the family, Balinski was on life support Sunday afternoon at Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. She was being kept on life support so her organs could be donated to someone in need.
Patrick St. Romain was with Balinsky that night. They were both riding bikes coming back from Applebee's.
"They deserve what they got coming to them. That's not right. Nobody deserves to go like that," St. Romain said. "It was all too much going on at the time, I didn't even realize that it happened until it did happen."
St. Romain says he was in front of Balinksy at the time of the crash.
"There was nothing I could do to figure out who did it or what because I didn't see, you know, she was behind me. I couldn't even hear it," St. Romain said.
Police said the Jeep hit her traveling in the same direction, northbound on FM 2100.
Deputies are now searching for the vehicle, which they said has a damaged right headlight, right quarter panel and bumper.
"I don't see how somebody could just hit and then run, you know," Melissa Balinski said.
Balinski said she lost her best friend.
"I would like to find this dude or whoever hit her because I think they should be watching what they're doing," Melissa Balinski, the victim's sister, said.
Friends and family want to find the driver so they can find closure as well.
"When I get around her, it's like a little piece of home. I don't really have a lot of friends so that's what I'm going to miss: everything about her," Valverde said.