Police are asking anyone with information about the driver who hit an 8-year-old boy in Charlotte, N.C. on June 30 to call Crime Stoppers. The incident happened around 5:50 pm on Idlebrook Drive in East Charlotte.
The boy was riding a bicycle on the 6200 block of Idlebrook Dr. when a vehicle traveling southwest hit him and sped away. The boy sustained serious injuries and was transported to Carolinas Medical Center for treatment.
Witnesses describe the driver as a black male, mid-to-late 20s, with short or balding hair. They believe he was wearing a white T-shirt at the time. The driver was operating a white Ford Expedition SUV with black bumpers. The front passenger side of the Ford struck the child, so the front right bumper and quarter panel are likely damaged.
I hope this young boy makes a full recovery, but I know that even after his body is healed he will grapple with the trauma of being hit and the memory of the pain and fear he experienced. One family member’s serious injury substantially impacts the entire family. This boy’s family is undoubtedly experiencing grief and anxiety over the child’s recovery, and if they are angry they have a right to be. Fleeing the scene of an accident requires the driver to make the conscious, inhumane decision to leave an injured child to fend for himself.
While I hope police find the driver who injured this boy and hold him accountable for his cowardice, I know that often drivers in hit-and-run accidents are never identified. The child’s family should feel angry, but they shouldn’t feel helpless. A pedestrian injured in a hit-and-run incident in North Carolina may be able to recover compensation for their losses from their own insurance company. After a hit-and-run incident, it’s crucial to call the police, seek medical treatment, and document the victim’s injuries. Then, consider contacting a North Carolina personal injury attorney who has experience handling hit-and-run injury claims.
AM