NEW ORLEANS — She's known locally, nationally and even internationally as the "Queen of Bourbon Street." A street performer, she's been dancing on Bourbon Street for more than a decade, but she says she nearly lost her life on the weekend.
Mamie Marie Burfict has been performing on Bourbon Street for 11 years, and every night she takes the same route home, traveling along the street car tracks. On Friday night, she was hit by a car at the intersection of Perdido and St Charles, and the aftermath was caught on camera.
The NOPD named a person of interest and vehicle in the investigation as of June 27. They identified the suspect vehicle as a 2020 Chevy Trax possibly black in color.
The vehicle was registered to Angelique Drummer, who is sought for questioning.
"I don't know where it came from. I just know she hit me on my left side," Burfict said.
In the video, you can see Burfict on the ground and what appears to be the driver approaching her. The driver then gets back in the car and takes off, leaving the 75-year-old on the ground.
"I was over, the bike on top of me. She just did like this, to help me up I guess, and I said 'Oh no baby, I said we need the police.' When I said that, she jumped back in her car and goes," she told Eyewitness News.
Burfict says when she fell off the bike, she hit her head on the ground and her body was covered in bruises. She says she’s not able to use her bike now.
Burfict says she's just thankful to be alive.
"You can repair this bike... you can't give back a life."
This Bourbon Street icon says dancing is how she makes her money.
"She took all that away from me."
"I winded up homeless for five months, and that's how I became a street performer, because I used to hang out there," Burfict said.
She is now considering whether it's the Queen of Bourbon Street's final curtain call.
"I am still shook up, I am not sure what I can do...God is trying to tell me now, it's time for a change."
NOPD says they're still investigating. Burfict says her bike cost $800. To help buy another and costs associated with the accident she has a GoFund Me.
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