But it wasn't a car that hit Ed Depalo Jr. It was a snowmobile.
The incident took place in Lake Grove, and the boy is now in Stony Brook Hospital.
"I didn't think I would ever be moving again I thought I would have no leg," said Depalo.
His kneecap shattered in 8 pieces and his thighbone is missing a chunk. The teenager has been through two operations in four days, with even more surgery ahead.
During the height of Sunday nights blizzard, Ed and a friend walked a few blocks to their neighborhood pizza shop, when out of the gloom came a speeding snowmobile. The vehicle knocked Ed down and sliced right through his leg. He says the driver stopped, looked back, and left him there, bleeding in the snow.
"This guy should be a man step forward and admit what he did was wrong. Take responsibility for his actions," adds RJ Dolderer, Ed's cousin.
Today, Dolderer was searching the neighborhood for anyone who saw the snow machine. Police are trying to find the driver but that's easier said than done. The snowmobile, likely locked up tight in someone's garage.
As for Ed, he fears his life has changed forever. He's a competitive wrestler and plays football and lacrosse. But doctors say his leg may never fully recover.
"Sports means a lot to me and I feel I'm never gonna play again cause this one little thing changed my whole life," adds Ed.
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