Ballet dancer in hospital after hit-and-run crash; family thanks woman who helped saved him

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A ballet dancer who’d just moved to Memphis from Toronto, Canada is in the hospital after he was badly injured in a hit-and-run crash in Midtown over the weekend.

But his family says they’re thankful for a woman who saw that crash and took action. They met, for the second time, in a Memphis hospital Tuesday.

Noah Long was riding his bike down Poplar Avenue near Avalon around 1 Saturday morning when a witness says a black car crashed into him.

He had just left a gathering welcoming him to town to be part of Ballet Memphis. It was dark, no one was around, and the driver didn’t stop.

“I actually saw him get hit and fly through the air, close to the trees and when he came down, I just went in shock,” said Sharon Robinson.

But she immediately jumped into action. She called 911, rushed to Long’s side and prayed until paramedics arrived.

“Lord watch over him, please help him recover from this, Lord just guide him,” Robinson prayed. “Lord just guide me so I can help him, and I kept telling (him), ‘I’m not gonna leave you, I’m not gonna leave you.'”

The next day, desperate for answers, Robinson had no idea if she would ever find out if Long survived. Then his sister found her, and asked if she wanted to come see him.

That sister, Kate Robbins, calls Sharon her brother’s guardian angel.

“I’m just so proud of you. She did such a good job. It’s so stressful and she made sure, you made sure no one moved him because his neck was broken,” Kate said. “He could’ve been paralyzed had she not been there.”

Noah is now recovering but his injuries are severe. His jaw is wired shut and he will have to have hand surgery, but Tuesday morning he was able to walk for the first time in days.

Kate said the first thing her brother said when he came out of anesthesia was, “I need to know who found me.”

“He knew that there was a voice,” she said. “He doesn’t remember anything, he just knew someone was there.”

Sharon says she can’t wait to see Noah dance in the coming months. She is crediting her faith for being in the right place that early morning to make a difference.

They believe the car involved was a small black hatchback, possibly a Ford Fiesta that would have front end damage. If you know anything call Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH.

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