Athens-Clarke County Police say the vehicle vs pedestrian wreck that claimed the life of 20 year-old UGA student Ariana Zarse was a hit-and-run. The car—a Honda Accord—has been found and the driver has been identified. The hit-and-run occurred just after midnight Saturday at East Broad near Foundry. Police say Zarse was walking with a friend who was not hurt.
From ACCPD...
ACCPD Identifies Driver Involved in Fatal Hit and Run As a result of the crash investigation, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department has identified Donterris Gresham, 29, of Athens, GA, as the driver of the Honda Accord involved in this incident. Gresham has active arrest warrants for Homicide by Vehicle-1st Degree, Hit and Run Involving Serious Injury or Death, Failure to Obey Traffic Control Device, Too Fast for Conditions, and Driving While Unlicensed. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Donterris Gresham is asked to contact law enforcement by dialing 9-1-1. The investigation is still ongoing and anyone with information regarding this crash is asked to contact Officer First Class Tilley at (762) 400-7355 or via email at dustin.tilley@accgov.com.
From WSB TV…
Athens-Clarke County police are looking for someone they said ran over a 20-year old University of Georgia student on Broad Street just east of Foundry Street in downtown Athens.
Police said that just after midnight Saturday, 20-year-old Ariana Zarse was walking with a friend, trying to cross Broad Street when she was hit by Honda Accord traveling west on the road. The Accord left the scene and Zarse was transported to a nearby hospital where she later died from her injuries.
Police said Zarse’s friend was not injured in the crash.
Friends of Zarse say it was just a week ago that they were celebrating her win in a charity boxing match.
“She was saying what a high it was, it was the biggest high of her life,” Keith Keppner told Channel 2′s Ashli Lincoln. “The fact that we got to share that with her, it was really beautiful.”
Keppner said he trained Zarse for two months ahead of her boxing match and described her as “exceptionally impressive” and “very positive, very go-getting type.”
Friends say they are clinging to these memories as they mourn their loss.
“We need to be reminded from this horrific incident that we never know when our last are here, or not here, tomorrow because it’s a fact of life,” Keppner said.
Her friends are planning on having a moment of silence, as well as put something up in the boxing gym to serve as a reminder of how precious life is.
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