SALEM, Ore. (KOIN) — A blind man and his guide dog were hit by a car in Salem on Monday by a driver who fled the scene. But a man was later arrested after the owner of the car called the police.
The incident unfolded when Stephen Murphy and his guide dog Amilia were crossing Hrubetz Road SE near Liberty Road South, Salem police said. Murphy and Amilia were hit and knocked onto Liberty Road, but the driver took off.
Murphy had dinner at the South Libery Bar and Grill just before he was hit. Monica Boehmer, who co-owns the bar and grill with her brother Aaron, said she’s known Murphy for 15 years as both a customer and a friend.
“Stephen is probably one of the kindest, sweetest, funniest folks we know,” Monica said. Her brother said Murphy is “humorous funny. You couldn’t ask for a nicer, kinder, more humble, upbeat, just funny, fun person.”
Monica said Murphy “had stopped in for dinner and was just on his way home” when he was hit just after 7 p.m. “I feel heartbroken that somebody would have done this to him and then left him there in the rain with his dog.”
Passersby stopped to help Murphy and Amilia and also called police. He was seriously hurt and Amilia was taken to a veterinarian.
Wednesday, the car’s owner called Salem police. The owner said they loaned the car to a friend who returned the car with some front end damage. His explanation didn’t raise any real flags with the owner, who took the car to get fixed, police said.
But the repair person told the owner the damage looked like the car hit someone. That’s when the owner called police and told them Donald Crume was driving.
Investigators looked at the car and the crash scene and then arrested the 49-year-old.
Crume now faces a felony hit-and-run charge, animal hit-and-run, assault and unrelated warrants.
‘It’s surreal. It’s just surreal’
Stephen Murphy is “just such a good person,” Aaron said. “An all-around good person who has overcome so many difficulties in life already. You know, it just doesn’t seem fair.”
Murphy is a massage therapist “who brings relaxation and sense of relief to all of the people he works with,” Monica said. “And then for someone to create and cause him so much pain when his purpose at work is to take away people’s pain, the irony was just a lot.”
A virus left Stephen Murphy blind about 16 years ago, his wife Connie Murphy told KOIN 6 News.
“He’s doing well, considering he still has a major surgery coming up because his left knee is torn up,” said Connie, who is also blind.
Murphy’s left knee is “destroyed,” she said. He also suffered a broken nose, broken vertebrae, broken ribs, pelvis fractures and road rash and has many stitches.
“It’s surreal. It’s just surreal,” she said. “You know, I sit on the couch in the morning and I have my coffee and get ready for the day and I listen to the news and I hear about this happening to people and I’m like, ‘Who would ever do that?’ And now all of a sudden I’m that news story. And it’s just surreal.”
Stephen has had Amilia, a black Labrador, for about 4 years, Connie said. Amilia is being cared for by Guide Dogs for the Blind in Boring.
Since he was hit, Connie said the community support has been overwhelming.
One of his friends, Casey Christensen, started a Facebook fundraising effort for Murphy.
His friends Monica and Aaron sprang into action, too. Monica said they want Stephen and Connie to “focus on getting better and we will focus on taking care of them.”
They’ve planned a benefit auction, spaghetti dinner and pool tournament to raise money for the Murphys. It’s set to begin at 2 p.m. March 9.
Aaron said he knows Stephen Murphy “endured a lot worse than this, so walk in his shoes everday.”
And he’s glad there’s been an arrest in the case.
“You got to answer for that stuff,” Aaron said. “And I don’t mean to the judge.”