An eight-year-old boy from Fort Worth, Texas, is lucky to be alive after being struck by a car while riding his bike earlier this month, reported CBS News. The terrifying ordeal, which police are still investigating, has left the child with painful injuries and emotional scars, while his family is calling on the public to help track down the driver who left him to die.
The crash happened on 5 September outside the Mercantile Square Apartments between 6:30 and 7:45 in the evening. Witnesses and the boy himself say a black SUV hit him in what quickly turned into a shocking hit-and-run. A woman nearby, who later reported what she saw, claimed she too was almost struck by the vehicle.
According to the family, the driver not only hit the child but “actually drove over him head-on.” They say the driver briefly got out of the car, looked at the boy lying there screaming and bleeding, then got back in and sped away. The child’s mother later described the harrowing scene on a GoFundMe page, saying her son survived by sheer luck.
“Thankfully, my son survived with no critical or life-threatening injuries,” she wrote, explaining that his bike had been wedged between his small body and the car, possibly saving his life. Even so, he was left battered, shaken and deeply traumatised.
The mother said her son, who has just started caring about his appearance, is devastated by the visible impact of his injuries. “One ear now hangs lower than the other, something we didn’t notice until later. We hope it’s just due to swelling in that area. When he realised it, he broke down. He worries about scarring, goes back and forth between emotional breakdowns and putting on a brave face, and is trying so hard to be okay.”
The trauma runs deeper than the physical pain. His family revealed that he cries himself to sleep, wakes up shaking, and struggles to eat. He tells them he can’t stop thinking about what happened and now begs to move away from the apartment complex where he was hit.
As local police stepped back over the weekend, the boy’s family started their own search for the driver, urging anyone with information to come forward. His mother vowed, “As his mother, I will do everything in my power to make sure the person responsible is held accountable.”
The GoFundMe campaign has been set up to cover legal fees, investigation support and the cost of moving the family to a safer area. Those unable to donate have been asked to share the story to keep attention on the case.
Messages of support have poured in on social media, with strangers and friends alike expressing shock and anger. “God help this person’s soul if I ever find them. No one hurts my little dude, they can go straight to hell for not owning up to it,” one person wrote. Another added, “Poor baby! So glad he’s okay! I hope they find the person responsible quick!”
The boy’s mother, Baylea, has thanked people for their kindness, saying simply: “Me and dad are too! Thank you!” as the family waits for justice and healing.