Coventry paramedic injured in hit-and-run speaks out for first time since crash

COVENTRY, R.I. (WLNE) — A Coventry paramedic has been through the unthinkable over the last month, becoming the victim of a hit-and-run while on the job back in May.

Four weeks later, police still haven’t found a suspect.

“When I was struck, I immediately lost consciousness,” Miranda Hennessy said. “I ended up face down in the asphalt underneath the fire engine, and honestly, the person who just hit me left me there.”

33-year-old Miranda Hennessy is a mother of three from Fall River.

She is also a Western Coventry paramedic and firefighter who went to work on May 29 thinking it was just going to be a regular day.

“I have a titanium rod in my leg and several screws, I don’t remember how many,” Hennessy said. “But I’ve been told by many people that I’m very lucky and I’ve had a very fast recovery, but it’s been tough. There’s no getting around it.”

In addition to a critical leg injury, Miranda suffered a serious elbow injury and severe bruising around her eyes.

“I was in the front passenger door, the officer’s seat,” Hennessy said. “I checked for oncoming traffic, there was no oncoming traffic. I got out of the vehicle, and that’s the last memory I have.”

It was Miranda’s first call of the day and the ambulance was out of service, so they rode in the fire engine to a medical call on Victory Highway.

Miranda and another crew member were hit by a Chrysler minivan around 9 p.m. that evening, and the driver never stopped.

“It’s a bit stressful,” Hennessy said. “Honestly, I just have always wanted to serve the community.”

Miranda spent nearly three days in the hospital and now she has to recover, working to build back the muscle in her leg with physical therapy.

But even with everything she’s been through, she sympathizes with whoever hit her, and is hoping they will do the right thing.

“Person to person, I drive a minivan too, I understand they obviously have reasons on why they haven’t turned themselves in,” Hennessy said. “I have kids too and I actually drive a minivan. Human to human, it’s very frustrating that they haven’t turned themselves in.”

At some point, Miranda plans to go back to work, because helping people is her calling.

“I do plan to at this time, as frustrating and disheartening that this has been at times,” Hennessy said. “I know there’s still a lot of people out there who need help.”

Coventry police are still searching for a minivan with front passenger side damage, as well as a suspect.

An anonymous donor is offering a $1,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest.