'It's pretty unfair that they should get off with no consequences'
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SEATTLE -- A high school student who was hit and left for dead in a Poulsbo ditch is making great strides in her recovery, but she's still waiting for the person who nearly killed her to face justice.
It was Friday night two weeks ago that 18-year-old Shelly Martin was walking with a friend on Pioneer Way in Poulsbo when her life changed forever.
"When the car hit me I just busted open to the bone," Martin said from her hospital room at Harborview Medical Center.
The impact threw Martin into a ditch, where she very nearly died from her injuries. Despite the severity of those injuries, Martin said she remembers quite a bit from that night. What she doesn't remember much of is the car that hit her.
"I would try to get up and I noticed that my whole lower body was completely numb and I couldn't feel anything," she said.
Paramedics eventually flew her to Harborview, where she has since undergone seven surgeries. Martin has had a lot of time to think about that horrible night, and she's come up with her own theory about the person who hit her.
"I'm thinking that they were probably pretty intoxicated," she said. "And so after they hit us, they were probably thinking in their head, 'I just killed two little girls.'"
Doctors told Martin that most people would not have survived the types of injuries she had, but the high school senior doesn't give up easy and is now ready to leave the hospital.
What's left now is for the stranger who hit her to come forward and accept responsibility.
"They made a very big impact on my life," Martin said. "It's pretty unfair that they should get off with no consequences."
Investigators think Martin may have been hit by a pickup truck. She thinks it was white or silver. Her friend wasn't hit by the vehicle, but did suffer minor injuries.
Anyone with information on the hit-and-run is asked to call police.
It was Friday night two weeks ago that 18-year-old Shelly Martin was walking with a friend on Pioneer Way in Poulsbo when her life changed forever.
"When the car hit me I just busted open to the bone," Martin said from her hospital room at Harborview Medical Center.
The impact threw Martin into a ditch, where she very nearly died from her injuries. Despite the severity of those injuries, Martin said she remembers quite a bit from that night. What she doesn't remember much of is the car that hit her.
"I would try to get up and I noticed that my whole lower body was completely numb and I couldn't feel anything," she said.
Paramedics eventually flew her to Harborview, where she has since undergone seven surgeries. Martin has had a lot of time to think about that horrible night, and she's come up with her own theory about the person who hit her.
"I'm thinking that they were probably pretty intoxicated," she said. "And so after they hit us, they were probably thinking in their head, 'I just killed two little girls.'"
Doctors told Martin that most people would not have survived the types of injuries she had, but the high school senior doesn't give up easy and is now ready to leave the hospital.
What's left now is for the stranger who hit her to come forward and accept responsibility.
"They made a very big impact on my life," Martin said. "It's pretty unfair that they should get off with no consequences."
Investigators think Martin may have been hit by a pickup truck. She thinks it was white or silver. Her friend wasn't hit by the vehicle, but did suffer minor injuries.
Anyone with information on the hit-and-run is asked to call police.
I was hit by a car in Seattle 14 years ago after 27 surgeries I now am completely disabled, and I was in a marked crosswalk with traffic stopped for me. Please don't excuse or try to say it was in any way this young girls fault , I wish her the best recovery for years to come.
However it happened, it happened. The person operating the vehicle needs to be brought to justice. If they can determine the person was drunk at the time, they need to be brought to justice and not just a year or two in prison or jail. It is not fair to these individuals to be hurt by a driver who drives off and leaves them for someone else to find. I hope they find the vehicle, driver and anyone who knows but has not turned them in, they all need to brought before a mean Judge, Hope the young ladies make a quick and full recovery. Our prayers are with them and their families during this difficult time.
I hope that Shelly & her friend fully recovers. It's sad that people feel its necessary to blame the person who got hurt because they feel that somehow if they were walking on the wrong side of the road they deserved to get hit! No matter what a driver needs to be aware of their surroundings! That also means stopping if they hit someone or something! If driving impaired then that driver does deserve whatever happens because you shouldn't be behind the wheel! & yes, life is unfair, but to a young girl being hit & left for dead, this wasn't just unfair, it's criminal! Again, I hope Shelly & her friend a full & speedy recovery & that the driver discovers a conscience!
Some of the comments on this feed are truly disgusting.  I don't know Shelly personally but she is one of my youngest sisters friends and the idea that somebody didn't care enough to even stop to see what they hit terrifies me.  Even if it were a dog let alone two girls you should stop!  Drunk, stoned, or whatever else there is NO excuse at all.  I pray that Shelly makes a full recovery and I am so glad she has been able to leave the hospital sooner then anybody expected.  I live in Oregon and I still have been following the story.  Good luckÂ
@Paully M I live in Wisconsin & this caught my eye on another story... This is sad & some people out there need to be held accountable! I hope they catch whoever did this!
Oh yea id like to add that where the person hit them there is a blinking light right on the road. It is a very well lit area and even after the blinking light you can still see very clearly whats on the side of the road! I know this because i drove around the area looking for the truck who could have done this to her and even after the blinking light whem its just street lights and even without the street lights if you have your headlights on you can see 2 girls walking along side of the road! There is NO excuse as to why someone wouldnt stop after hitting something! That person knew he hit something there is no way you are going 40 mph and hit a 120lb girl and dont realize you hit something! You are a coward and deserve the worst punnishment for leaving these young girls in the ditch to die! Youll get whats comming for you!!!
I  would like to start by saying Shelly Martin is one of my best friends. Seeing her in that hospital bed with the injuries she had was one of the worst things i have ever seen! People saying that the girls shoudnt have been walking with traffic are right but that still dosent change what happned. Im sure every one of you has at some point in your life walked on the side of the road with traffic! And Half-Baked you are entitled to your opinion but you look like a self centered jerk! What has happned has happned and for you to tell a young woman fighting for her life that she needs to BUCK UP Is pathetic! You are Pathetic! and obviously if you were to hit two young girls on the side of the road im not to sure if youd stop either! Shelly saying its unfair that this person isn't paying the consequences for what he has done to her is totally ok for her to say! Because it is unfair! What if that were your baby girl laying in that hospital bed going thru 7 surgeries? would you tell her "life isnt fair, you need to buck up"? If so I feel so bad for your kids! Sorry this is so long, I just saw these comments and they really pised me off!!! Shelly Martin is one of the strongest young ladies i know! Keep up the good work Shelly your an amazing fighter and we all should be looking up to you,,I know i do!!
Didn't it say in the original article that the vehicle actually excelerated before it hit the girls? The reason I wonder is because I was thinking at the time maybe it was a personal issue between the girls and the driver. Hope whomever did this gets arrested because no matter the reason why they should pay the consequences.
There's something missing from this article that was in the previous KOMO article about this incident. These two young women were walking on a dark road at night with the flow of traffic.Â
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Of course the driver should be brought to justice, but young people also need to be smart and walk against the flow of traffic.Â
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If they had been walking against the flow of traffic, they would have seen this vehicle coming towards them and would not have been hit.Â
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People think it's no big deal to walk against traffic, and then stuff like this happens.Â
She went from "completely numb in her lower body" to "now ready to leave the hospital" (after 2 weeks)? Am I to assume the paralysis was temporary and she'll walk? That would be just wonderful, please say it is so.
 @Komo Dragon I was thinking the same thing. Amazing recovery.
Hoping for a very speedy recovery for Shelly Martin~ Hope they find this person who almost killed you and they get what's coming to them~it's unfair sure... but perhaps in time they will get caught. Someone knows something and only time will tell!!!Â
Life isn't fair, we should get over that at birth.
@Half-Baked True, life isn't fair. But it also isn't fair that not all humans have empathy and actually care about the well being of others. I pity you.
 @Half-Baked LOL. but you're right. I am putting that as my status.
 @Half-Baked Harsh, pun intended.
@Half-Baked. I agree, a sad situation but if you are looking for fairness, here comes a news flash. Life is not fair. deal with it.
 @Half-Baked Do you drive a white or silver pickup?
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 @Half-Baked He's a stoner....what do you expect.
@wishingforpeace She and No I am not. A joint does not qualify as a stoner although I should consider with these people that can't get over themselves.
 @Half-Baked It shall be very interesting if we actually hear you say that after something of the sort happens to you. You wouldn't be able to say that, would you? If I didn't know better, I would think you're the suspect.
@Zoso IT HAS
 @Half-Baked  @Zoso I call BS. Next thing you know, you're going to say you too have been kidnapped off a bus and taken to a bunker. Internet anonymity strikes again.
Your sympathy for this woman almost killed by a hit and run is astounding.Â
@LeslieLouAnn it's not that I don't have sympathy, I do. Just I've encountered enough to know we should NOT think life is fair. It only gets worse not better. Buck up!
 @Half-Baked  @LeslieLouAnn Well you're quite the pessimist.
Great spirit young lady, keep up the good work in your recovery. I hope the dirtbag that did this is found and spends some serious time in jail.
Tuff // Tuff young lady !!  Brings tears to my eyes to read her story.  Makes one want to wish " is there something I can do". Wish you the best young lady, you will go far !!
Typical coward. When they do come forward they'll say something like they thought they hit a deer or something.
 @cm257n7 Well, I would stop for a deer, too!  By now, they've probably convinced themselves they didn't do anything wrong.