NEWNAN, Ga. — A University of Georgia student was hit in a head-on crash Saturday night and watched the driver who struck her take off from the scene.
Authorities tell 11Alive they were able to catch the alleged hit-and-run driver by using traffic cameras that read the suspect's tag.
We caught up with the victim Tuesday, who explained how the crash happened.
"Right before I left my friend's neighborhood I texted my mom and I was like hey I'll be home in 20 minutes," Halley Psathas told 11Alive.
She said that was just before 10 p.m. A few minutes later, she was in a head-on collision.
"I was coming up Raymond Hill Road pulling to a stop to turn left," she recalled.
But then the crash happened.
"He swerved over and he hit me head-on," she said."I felt like time froze," Psathas said.
She said her heart stopped. Photos show the mangled metal and busted airbags.
PHOTOS | Head-on collision in Coweta County
"I was scared. My airbags went off automatically. My car started smoking," she said. "And next thing I know the driver of the vehicle who hit me started backing into my car."
Psathas said she panicked thinking the SUV would hit her again, so she jumped out of the car. She was shocked as she watched the driver of the other vehicle drive off.
"Automatically the first thing I thought was is, why would someone speed off and just leave me here laying down in the road," she said.
Good Samaritans came along to help, some of whom had children inside their vehicles but stopped to help pull her from the street.
"They prayed over me and one of them, they called law enforcement for me which they got here so quickly," she added.
Coweta County Sheriff's Office Major Mark Fenninger said if it weren't for the traffic cameras the read the suspect's tag, this might have been another unsolved hit-and-run case.
"We have several cameras throughout the county at major intersections and we were able to catch that car," Fenninger explained.
They found the suspect's car at a body shop and arrested Deven Sheats Monday night. Psathas and her family are extending grace to the driver.
"I’m not mad at the driver, I’m disappointed at the driver but I’m not mad because I understand, it’s a scary situation. If you hit someone your adrenaline is probably running and he’s probably scared."
Deputies said Sheats was intoxicated when they made contact with him. He's facing several charges.
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