Daughter of bicyclist critically injured in Northeast Philly hit-and-run makes plea for justice: "I need help finding who did this to him"
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The daughter of a bicyclist critically injured in a Northeast Philadelphia hit-and-run says her father may not make it through the night. Doctors transferred James Doughty to Jefferson University Hospital where he remains on life support, still unresponsive since the crash early Monday morning.
CBS3 talked to his oldest daughter who says she is taking it one hour at a time, praying for a miracle and justice.
"Today he looks a lot worse he's bruised, he's swollen," Justine Doughty said.
Justine Doughty says doctors at Jefferson University Hospital in Center City warned her Tuesday that her father's condition is declining and that his body, still in shock from dozens of shattered bones and internal bleeding in his head and abdomen, is dangerously fragile.
"They had to stop his surgeries because his body couldn't handle anymore if they continued," Justine said.
Jimmy Doughty was struck while riding his bicycle around 1 a.m. Monday morning at Cottman and Bustleton Avenues in the northeast. The driver never stopped.
"Where his body had landed, this person had to be going extremely fast, like turnpike fast. And these are not the streets for that," Justine said.
On Monday, police seized a white Range Rover with heavy damage just a few blocks from the crash site. Officials have yet to confirm if that vehicle was the one that struck the 43-year-old father and grandfather.
As the search for answers continues, Jimmy's daughter is pleading for help to find out who did this.
"I just want justice. I just want someone to have a heart. You kind of left him on the side of the road like roadkill. He's a person," Justine said.
For now, Justine says as her entire family is still coming to terms with what happened, all they can do in these agonizing hours is pray.
"My dad's definitely a fighter. He's always been a fighter so I still have hope," Justine said.
Justine is asking anyone who may have driven through the intersection or taken any dashcam videos of the crash to contact police.
She says she is grateful for any information that could help her family find some closure.
