Teen arrested after driving away from crash involving pedestrian, Lexington police say

A week after leaving the scene of a collision, a Midlands teenager was arrested, the Lexington Police Department said Wednesday.

On Dec. 6, Sha’Keela Nyjeh Caldwell hit a pedestrian in a downtown Lexington crosswalk and drove away, according to police.

When investigators tracked her down, the 19-year-old West Columbia resident admitted she was the driver involved in the hit-and-run, police spokesman Sgt. Cameron Mortenson told The State.

The pedestrian involved in the collision was hit in the leg, but he only suffered minor injuries, according to Mortenson.

No other injuries were reported.

The crash happened at the intersection of East Main Street and North Lake Drive, police said. That’s near the Lexington County government complex, and a block from the Icehouse Amphitheater.

“She didn’t stop, she took off,” Mortenson said.

Two days after the collision, police were still trying to find out who was driving the white Toyota sedan determined to be involved. Police reached out to the public for help, and the tips helped lead officers to Caldwell, Mortenson said.

“We had multiple tips come in and I’m thankful for the tips,” Mortenson said.

Police said they also were able to identify Caldwell’s car by the white steering wheel cover and pink item hanging from mirror. Both were still in place in the vehicle when investigators tracked down Caldwell.

Caldwell was charged with hit-and-run of a pedestrian and failure to yield to a pedestrian in the crosswalk, according to police.

The teen was ticketed and fined for speeding in September, Lexington County court records show.

This story was originally published December 15, 2021 at 11:40 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

803-771-8435

Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription