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CHARLOTTESVILLE — The University of Virginia coaching staff picked up 20 commitments in the days leading up to national signing day — and one criminal.

Assistant coach Mark Atuaia, who coaches the Cavaliers’ running backs, was on a recruiting visit in Davie, Fla., on Jan. 27 when he stopped at a Publix grocery store for his traditional snack of Diet Mountain Dew and Fig Newtons.

As he was leaving the store, he saw a car hit a woman and go driving off.

“It was surreal,” he said. “I see the car, and it didn’t stop.

“My car was still on, so I put it into drive, and I went to chase the car. All I was going to try to do was just get a license plate, then come back.” Atuaia added with a laugh, “I watch too much ‘COPS’.”

He took off, and the car came to a stop light, where Atuaia said he pinned the car in with his rental, opened the door, took the keys and threw them on the roof of the other car.

At that time, a security guard from the shopping center had come to the scene, and took over. Atuaia returned to the original spot to help the woman — a Davie Police spokeswoman said she was treated for injuries at a nearby medical center.