Woman found dead in Macon was killed in a hit-and-run, authorities say

The body of a woman was found along the 4400 block of Interstate Drive early Thursday.

The woman was identified as Valerie Patterson, 51, of Macon, said Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones.

The incident appears to have been a hit-and-run, Jones said. An autopsy is expected.

Bibb County sheriff’s investigators determined that Patterson was walking along the roadway when she was stuck by a vehicle, according to a sheriff’s office news release.

The driver of the vehicle did not stop and did not notify the sheriff’s office of the accident, the release said. The vehicle was described as a mid-2000s silver Mercury sedan.

A passerby discovered the body along the roadway near Chandler Collision of Macon at 4410 Interstate Drive, Jones said.

Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched at 7:38 a.m. to the scene.

Patterson sang in the choir at Beulahland Bible Church, said Jones, who is a member of the same church.

Patterson was known to go for daily walks, Jones said. Patterson lived off West Oak Drive off of Mercer University near the MidSouth Community Federal Credit Union, Jones said.

Interstate Drive runs from Mercer University Drive to Columbus Road. The nearest intersection to where the body was found is Interstate Drive and Columbus Road

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at 478-751-7500.

This story was originally published August 27, 2020 at 8:50 AM.