Boy thrown from back of father's motorcycle and onto the road after being struck by driver who fled
A young boy had to get surgery after being the victim of a hit-and-run in Riverside, and his mother desperately wants to find the driver who left her son lying on the side of the freeway.
The incident occurred last Friday, at around 8:45 p.m. on the eastbound 91 Freeway, west of Spruce Street.
"He had a football game and the game ended and so they were going to ride home like normal," Courtney Miller said of her son, 9-year-old Casey Ray Jr. and his father.
However, Casey and his father's motorcycle ride home was anything, but normal.
"A white car came up from behind him and they just collided," Miller told CBSLA.
Casey said he remembers getting thrown off the motorcycle, tumbling on the freeway and seeing the white car drive away.
"I got up and I was on the road and I put my left hand up to stop the cars, so I wouldn't get hit, and a lady got out of her car and helped me to the side of the road."
His dad was fine, but Casey Jr. was rushed to Loma Linda University Hospital. Luckily, he had no broken bones or internal damage. While he was wearing a full-face helmet, the 9-year-old suffered a concussion and road rash on half of his body.
His mom told CBSLA that Casey and his father ride together all the time, normally with a leather jacket on, except Friday was exceptionally warm.
"It's eight o'clock at night, and I was like, '89 degrees outside, are you sure?' and then it was like, 'He's fine, he'll be fine,'" Miller said.
Unfortunately, Casey will be unable to continue playing football while he recovers from his injuries, all while the driver who hit him and his father is still at-large. Miller hopes that whoever the driver is steps up to take personal responsibility for their actions.
"Maybe they don't know that they hit them and if that's the case, then come forward and say that you didn't know that. Like, now you've committed a crime by leaving the scene and that's for the judge and jury to decide."
Officials with the California Highway Patrol said there are Caltrans cameras at this location, but that it's only a live feed and does not record.
It's believed the white car may have damage from the collision, and CHP was encouraging anyone with information about the incident, or anyone who may have witnessed it, to call.
