Exclusive: Daughter Of East Harlem Hit-And-Run Victim Says She's Desperate For Answers
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Deborah Gray's eyes welled with tears as she thought about her mother inside Harlem Hospital.
That's where the 62-year-old was born, and where doctors are now fighting to keep her alive, after a car crash on Monday left her in a coma.
"This was the first place that I called and she was here," Gray said told CBS2's Christina Fan on Saturday.
MORE: Police Seek Driver Who Fled East Harlem T-Bone Car Crash That Sent 2 To Hospital
Deborah and her mother are extremely close. So when her calls started going directly to her mother's voicemail, she knew something was wrong.
Intuition told her to call Harlem Hospital.
"She had a spinal cord injury that is very severe. She would probably be paralyzed if she does wake up," Gray said.
Deborah said her mother, who lives in Maryland, but grew up in East Harlem, came to the city last weekend to visit friends.
She was in a livery cab Monday morning when a dark-colored sedan with Texas plates T-boned her vehicle near East 129th Street and Park Avenue, police said.
The driver ran away and still hasn't been found.
"Obviously, I need them to find the person that was responsible for the accident and I also, you know, want her to try to get the best care that she can," Gray said.
In addition to the hit-and-run driver, Deborah said she's also worried about mounting medical expenses. Her mother recently started a new job and her insurance coverage doesn't begin until next month.
"I'm three months pregnant right now, so it's like I have to be strong for my daughter and my mom at the same time," Gray said.
She's staying strong, even though doctors said her mother's prognosis may be grim.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74682), logging onto the Crime stoppers website at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com, or by texting tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enterings TIP577.
