Best friends critically injured in hit-and-run

Neighbor helped save women injured by hit-and-run-driver

They’ve been best friends for most of their lives. Now, two Atlanta women are fighting to survive after being hit by a car that didn’t stop, their families said Monday.

Adrienne Smith, 22, and Brianna Johnson, 21, were talking as they sat on a wall near a southwest Atlanta park around 12:30 a.m. Saturday when they were hit by a driver who left the roadway, according to police.

Investigators believe the suspect, who has not yet been identified, was possibly driving a stolen rental car at the time of the crash on Peeples Street. He ran from the scene after striking Smith and Johnson, police said.

Part of Smith’s leg had to be amputated due to her injuries, and Johnson’s pelvis is broken, according to police. As their families pray for the women to recover, the victims are finding ways to communicate, despite being unable to speak because of their injuries. The young women also have broken bones.

“They are more concerned about each other than anything else,” Amy Smith, Adrienne’s mother, told Channel 2 Action News. “They have a bond that is only going to get stronger.”

The best friends have been able to exchange notes, their mothers said.

Family members have opened accounts at Wells Fargo in each of the women’s names to assist with medical costs.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477.