CINCINNATI — Prosecutors in Hamilton County charged John Hancock with leaving the scene of an accident after he allegedly hit Adrienne Fant and drove off, according to court documents. The Dec. 3 incident occurred near the intersection of Groesbeck Road and Hamilton Avenue. Fant, 43, suffered severe head trauma and remains hospitalized.

Larry Rowland Jr., Fant’s brother, learned of the crash through frantic family calls while dropping his children at school. “All my family was in there, and it was like your sister just got run over,” Rowland said. “Somebody ran her over and kept going. Left her out there for dead.”

A Hamilton County grand jury indicted Hancock on Jan. 16, more than six weeks after the crash. The family only then discovered the alleged driver’s identity. Hancock, who aims to unseat Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman, posted no bail and walked free on his own recognizance from court.

“I almost passed out when I heard that,” Rowland said. “How is this man out on an OR bond after he ran her over and left her there? That’s the first sign of a flight risk.” Officers located Hancock at his workplace. His vehicle showed heavy front-end damage matching the accident, court records state.

Prosecutors accuse Hancock of calling his insurance company en route to work that morning. He claimed to have struck a tree at a different location, according to the indictment. “He lied every step of the way,” Rowland said. “He told the insurance company he wrecked into a tree.”

Fant has endured three brain surgeries since the crash. Her latest operation took place days before Rowland’s interview. “Just when you think she’s going to pull out of it and be okay, something else happens,” he said. “Man, to see my sister like that … it’s just terrible.”

The family stays by her bedside around the clock. Rowland’s mother wept upon seeing photos of Hancock’s damaged car. He described Fant as gentle, someone “who wouldn’t harm a fly” and who “would never deserve nothing like this.”

Rowland expressed shock that a congressional hopeful could act this way. “I was just baffled again, because I couldn’t believe that a potential candidate for Congress did this — a leader for the people,” he said. “You wouldn’t expect something like this out of a politician.” The ordeal has upended their lives. “This is a lifelong journey we on right now,” Rowland added. “Our life has been changed forever.”

Despite the anguish, Rowland emphasized forgiveness alongside a demand for justice. “My family’s always taught me to be forgiving,” he said. “So you know in my heart, my family, we forgive whoever did it. But someone did it, and someone needs to be held accountable.”

The family launched a GoFundMe campaign for Fant’s medical expenses. “We just ask that the community stand with us,” Rowland said. “Help support her, at least see that she gets justice.” His direct words to Hancock: “He’s committed an act that you couldn’t imagine a person in his position could even do. How could we trust a person like that to lead us? I just hope he just realize what he did. He could’ve helped her, but he didn’t.”