Dawson Co. woman hailed as 'hero'

DAWSONVILLE - A Dawson County woman received praise from the Sheriff's Department and plenty of press coverage for her role in arresting a hit and run driver who struck a 5-year-old child at a school bus stop Thursday morning.

"All I could think about was the little kid getting hit and thinking about this person getting away with it; it just really upset me."

That's what DeShan Fishel told reporters about why she decided to chase down the speeding driver, identified as 19-year-old Gary Hoosline from Cleveland.

Fishel said when she caught up with him, she had plenty of help from law officers because she was talking to 911 during the chase.

"I pulled over right behind him and jumped out and told him he that he was not going anywhere," Fishel recalled. "I told him I was on the phone with the Dawson County dispatcher."

Hoosline was arrested at the scene for failure to stop for a school bus and failure to report an accident with injuries.

Hoosline was later released on bond at the Dawson County Jail.

Dawson County Sheriff's Lt. Tony Wooten said he does not encourage civilians chasing down traffic offenders, but in this case he was very glad it happened; he called Fishel a hero.

"We don't know that we would have been able to catch him if not for her quick thinking and for her determination to make sure he didn't leave," Wooten said. "Our communities can only be safe if those in the community make them safe."

The hit and run happened on Dawson Forest Road; Wooten said the child underwent treatment and at last report was recovering from his injuries at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/9/212964