Boy Riding Bike Seriously Injured In Aurora Hit-And-Run
Updated 06/20/13 - 11:20 a.m.
AURORA, Ill. (CBS) -- A boy riding his bike was seriously injured Wednesday evening when a hit-and-run driver plowed into him in west suburban Aurora.
CBS 2's Susanna Song reports Joshua Romero remained in serious condition Thursday morning after he was airlifted to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood.
Police said Joshua was riding his bike and trying to cross the street at 5th Avenue and Talma Street around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, when he was struck by a late model Nissan Pathfinder headed east on 5th Avenue.
"I just couldn't believe somebody would hit a kid and take off, and not stop to see if he's okay. … As a parent, I just don't know how somebody can do that," said Joshua's mother, Erica Lopez. "I was angry, upset."
Lopez said Joshua told her he saw the SUV coming, and tried to get out of the way.
"He said he started going fast, and as soon as he started speeding up, so did the car," she said. "He said it seemed like the car was speeding up as fast as he was going. So he was trying to get out of the way, and then he said all he remembers is the car coming toward him, and him getting hit. After he got hit, he doesn't remember anything."
Lopez said Joshua was not wearing a helmet at the time. He suffered a fractured skull, but no brain damage. He also suffered a sprained knee, a broken arm, and a fractured clavicle, but he was expected to make a full recovery.
He was undergoing tests Thursday morning, and was scheduled for surgery Monday on his broken arm.
Witnesses provided only a vague description of the woman behind the wheel of the Pathfinder. She apparently slowed down after hitting Joshua, but then fled the scene.
The vehicle was described as a dark-colored, newer model Nissan Pathfinder with a luggage rack on the roof. It might have front-end damage.
Police said anyone with information about the hit-and-run should call Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at 630-892-1000.
A $5,000 reward was being offered for information that leads to an arrest.
