'He backed up, knocked me down': Plea to find hit-and-run driver on Milwaukee's southeast side

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) - It’s a plea to help find the driver involved in a hit-and-run earlier this month.

The victim is recovering as community members who know her ask for your help.

Teresa Harris, who is homeless, says she was waiting for Mill Valley Recycling to open to drop off cans.

Milwaukee police say the accident happened around 6 a.m. on March 3 near Barclay and Mineral.

“Only thing I can say is he did not look in his rearview mirror to see if I was still standing there and he backed up and knocked me down on the ground," Harris said.

Harris said the driver pulled up and told her he had multiple bags of cans to give her.

After getting back into his truck, she said he ran over twice: first while backing up and again driving forward.

She said he then got out, and after realizing she was alert, he drove off.

Eventually, a passerby called for help.

She has undergone surgery for fractures in her spine and pelvis, and is currently in a rehabilitation center.

Some may recognize Harris from her interview in the “This is Milwaukee” project.

And for the last three years, she's been a beloved guest at the MacCanon Brown Homeless Sanctuary.

“She’s very loving and intelligent and she is often the one that builds bridges between people, and that’s a special gift that she brings," said Sister MacCanon Brown. "We believe there are no throwaway people and, as a matter of fact, we believe that the people who are the least among us are sometimes the most worthwhile."

Harris said the man was driving a yellow, flatbed truck.

A $200 reward is being offered for information that will help find this driver.

If you know anything, you can also call 414-404-0600.

Milwaukee police are investigating.