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Broken Limbs and Lost Dreams

When most people think of hit-and-runs, they might think of a moving vehicle side-swiping a parked vehicle or someone hitting a pet while its scampering across a busy road. The Oceanfront experienced a rather brutal hit-and-run last week that still has Virginia Beach police searching for the driver.

Last week Jillian McGowan, Ryan Chaney and their friends were having a normal evening at the Oceanfront until they decided to leave at last call and head back to their vehicle which was parked in the city parking lot on 25th street and Pacific Avenue. While in the parking lot, a man in a gold sedan started shouting insults to the group. Chaney approached the vehicle to confront the angry stranger. While he tapped on the window, the man floored on the gas and hit 25 year-old McGowan which caused her to fly over the top of the vehicle. The driver then hit Chaney and another man before fleeing the scene.

Tanning-Salon manager, Jillian McGowan was hospitalized in the ICU at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital for three days. She suffered from bleeding in the skull, an injured leg, and a collapsed lung. McGowan is also the single mother of one-year-old twin boys.

Chaney, also 25, has dreamed of being a Navy SEAL for many years. He is in the Navy Reserve and also works part-time at two other jobs. He was in the hospital for four days and needed a surgery to place a rod and pins in his fractured fibular. He also received a broken rib from the accident. Due to his injuries, doctors say that his dream of becoming a SEAL will probably never come in to fruition, a devastating blow to Chaney.

Both Chaney and McGowan have limited mobility and are unable to work until they make a full recovery and both are not insured. Police have their work cut out for them as they have no description of the suspect, and only know that he was driving a gold, four-door sedan.


Personal Injury cases are always very important to our firm. If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident, please contact Attorney Michael S. Weisberg. He has been a serving the people of Hampton Roads for over thirty years with an emphasis in personal injury. Please call, e-mail, or fill out the contact form on the website to set up your free consultation today.




Michael S. Weisberg, P.C.
112 College Place
Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone: (757) 622-7740
Fax: (757) 533-9223
Toll Free: (800) 690-0235
Email: info@weislaw.com
www.weislaw.com