MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The scenes are gruesome, tragic, and often preventable. On December 11, the frigid breeze wasn't what sent chills through those who witnessed what happened in South Memphis. "When it hit him, it sounded like it hit another car," witness Shelia Haynes said. "It went boom! Debris was all over our car. It hit so bad." It was lunchtime outside a gas station on East Mallory near Latham. A car reportedly hit a man crossing the street. It threw him 100 feet. He didn't survive. "It hit him so hard, it knocked his pants off," Haynes said. "The hood was messed up. The windshield and all of that." The car was seen on security camera footage. It never stopped. Courtesy: Memphis Police Dept. Memphis Police Colonel Marcus Worthy heads the unit called to investigate. "We are already in the process of trying to identify the individual," he said. The Special Traffic Investigations Squad investigates crashes resulting in critical injuries or fatalities that typically lead to criminal charges. "Unlike homicides and sex crimes, these guys handle their stuff from beginning to end. They take their own photos and measurements," Worthy said. Worthy let WREG Investigators tag along with him to get a closer look at what the unit does and see, so the public can better understand what's happening on our roads. In the case of the fatal hit-and-run, Worthy stated, "The distance [the pedestrian] went down the road indicates speed." That's what witnesses also stated. "They had to have been going about 100 mph," Haynes said. "It had to have been." Speeding, reckless, and distracted driving are among the leading causes of crashes the STIS responds to. Alarming trends have also been seen across the country since the onset of the pandemic. MPD says in 2021, they got a reckless driving call on average almost every day. There are theories as to why the roads became more reckless when COVID-19 hit. Some cite boredom and behavioral changes. More research is being conducted. What's clear, according to the state, Shelby County started to see an increase in fatal crashes during that same time. "They are deformed. Their bodies are twisted in all kinds of ways," Worthy said. The scenes are painful and tragic. Too gruesome for the public to see. Yet, STIS officers are up close. The sounds and sights stick with them. "You've got an arm, leg missing. The body is twisted the wrong way, and they are still alive. They have to see that and watch that, but still work through it," Worthy explained. "We have mechanisms in place to make sure the officer's mind is okay and everything, but sometimes you reach a breaking point. We had one guy leave the unit because he said he couldn't take seeing any more kids getting hurt." Get the latest from the WREG Investigators in your inbox Just hours before the fatal hit-and-run crash last month, the STIS was called to a critical crash in East Memphis. Security camera footage WREG Investigators obtained from a nearby business shows a motorcyclist going east on Poplar, locking up, and sliding into the red car turning left. Worthy said the car never stopped, and the man on the bike was taken to the hospital in critical condition. This summer, the Tennessee Highway Patrol agreed to designate around 50 troopers to the Memphis district. This after repeated calls for help as data showed in Shelby County, there were more fatal crashes in 2023 compared to the totals of past years. MPD said those extra patrols, task forces, and more public awareness have helped. They report a dip in reckless driving calls, interstate shootings, and critical and fatal crashes. "Our criticals and fatalities are down this year. We are down 64 from last year, which is great. I wish we didn't have any of them," Worthy said. We continue to ask MPD for last year's number of fatal and critical crashes to get a better comparison of past years. We will let you know if and when we get those totals. MPD did report they have not released the victim's name and have yet to find the driver in the hit-and-run crash that killed the pedestrian. Weeks later, countless cars pass by the spot. They are oblivious to the life cut short, loved ones forever impacted, and the witnesses who will never forget. Shelia Haynes and her husband "He just kept going. He has no heart," Haynes said. If you have any information, call Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH. ► DO YOU NEED A STORY INVESTIGATED? WREG Investigators want to hear from you! Call our tip line at 901-543-2378. You can also send an email to [email protected].