11-Year-Old Boy Fighting For Life After Being Struck In West Philadelphia Hit-And-Run, Police Say
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- An 11-year-old boy is fighting for his life after being struck in a hit-and-run in West Philadelphia on Thursday night. Police say the hit-and-run happened around 8 p.m. in the 4200 block of West Girard Avenue.
Witnesses told police the boy was walking on the crosswalk at 42nd Street and Girard Avenue in the southbound lane to go to a store when a truck, traveling westbound, struck the boy.
"He was hit with such force his body was launched 50 feet where he landed on Girard Avenue," Philadelphia Chief Inspector Scott Small said. "He was suffering from severe trauma to his legs, arms and body. He was bleeding heavily."
The boy was rushed to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and placed in extremely critical condition.
"We don't know if this 11-year-old boy is going to survive being struck by a vehicle," Small said.
The driver fled the scene, police say.
Police describe the driver as reckless.
"This vehicle, this pickup truck, when it was traveling westbound on Girard Avenue, it was actually swerving in and out of traffic," Small said. "And at the point of impact, the vehicle, according to witnesses, went around two lanes of traffic actually heading westbound in the eastbound lanes when it struck this little boy. This was reckless driving, careless driving when they struck this 11-year-old boy."
Small says witnesses followed the vehicle and were able to get a description of the vehicle along with a license plate number.
Police say the truck is a newer model Ford pickup truck with tinted windows, with the Pennsylvania tag ZTX6169.
The boy lived about a block away from the scene, according to investigators.
"If you strike somebody with your vehicle, whether it be a car or a person, remain on the scene, provide assistance, wait for police," Small said. "It's an auto accident. Once you leave the scene and it becomes a hit-and-run or leaving-the-scene accident, now you've committed a crime. And if this young boy tragically doesn't survive, you're looking at vehicular homicide."
Neighbors say drivers often travel too fast along busy Girard Avenue.
"It doesn't really surprise me because people are always flying down this street," Monique Thomas said.
Police believe they'll be able to track down the driver thanks to witnesses and surveillance cameras in the area, but so far, no arrests have been made.
The investigation is ongoing.
CBS3's Ross DiMattei and Matt Petrillo contributed to this report.
