9-year-old girl critically injured in hit-and-run accident in Newark, NJ
NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- A 9-year-old girl was critically injured while crossing the street by a hit-and-run driver in Newark on Tuesday morning.
It happened just after 7:30 a.m. at the intersection of Irvine Turner Boulevard and Spruce Street.
Eyewitness News spoke to the mother of the child who was hit. She is so grateful her daughter is alive but is angry someone would hit a child and then drive away.
Sharon Johnson and her 3 children were waiting to cross Spruce Street when she says all of a sudden she heard a loud noise.
"An SUV hit another car, I'm like oh snap he's gonna hit somebody," Johnson said.
Johnson says that after hitting the car, the driver quickly moved into the left turn lane as she and her children were already crossing the street.
That's when a Grey SUV slammed into her daughter, 9-year-old Cyncere.
"He was literally about this close and me and my toddler to move onto the sidewalk and by the time I looked from my left side for my other two I see my daughter underneath the car," Johnson said.
The driver of the SUV did not stop, but the camera that recorded the surveillance video is one of many cameras along the route the driver took.
At least 2 other drivers gave chase while Johnson tended to her injured daughter.
She was taken to University Hospital, where she is critical but stable.
"She has six fractures on her ribs on the left side and she has a slash in her liver," Johnson said.
13-year-old Tyshon Gray is an 8th grader at Kipp Bold Academy and has to cross these streets as well. He spoke to Eyewitness News as his father stood by his side.
"It really do get rowdy over here like all the cars be packed up so I feel like if they had a crossing guard here too it will be more safer for us cause half of these cars don't really care they're just trying to get where they need to go," Gray said.
One day after the accident, a crossing guard was posted while 4 schools in the area were letting out.
People said it should be a permanent post during the school year.
Newark Police are looking for the driver.
"He left two different crime scenes, two different crime scenes. I want him to come and turn himself in because he could run, but he can't hide," Johnson said.
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