Police released a photo from the truck that fled the scene after the driver hit and injured the 5-year-old boy from Arlington last week
Arlington, TX – As we already reported last week, 5-year-old boy was transferred to hospital in Arlington after pickup truck driver hit and fled the scene while the boy was playing in a broad daylight.
The suspect has been on the run ever since and the authorities where not able to identify the suspect or the truck. Meanwhile, the boy was recovering in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
At the time of the incident, the boy was riding his scooter on the street in Arlington when out of sudden he was struck by the truck who fled the scene after the incident.
The investigators were able to conduct surveillance footage from nearby CCTV cameras and released a photo of the truck in an effort to identify the driver.
According to the authorities, the truck on the photo is red newer model Dodge or Toyota truck with dark rims and tinted windows. It has a dent on the driver’s side.
The mother of the boy spoke out about the incident. This is what she had to say:
“He went into the street a little bit and tried to come back up,” she recalled. “He said he didn’t do it fast enough because the guy kept coming and swiped him.”
The family of the boy moved in their new home in the area less than a week prior to the incident that took place on September 23 in the 8400 block of River Bluffs Drive in Southeast Arlington.
“I would’ve had a little more respect if he’d stopped to make sure my son was okay, but he didn’t. He just get driving,” the mother said.
The boy suffered serious injuries including fractured arm and has a broken collar bone. So far, the boy underwent one surgery and soon will have to undergo another one. The injuries are non-life-threatening, but serious.
Right after the incident, the driver stopped for a few seconds and exchanged few words with a neighbor who was in his yard at the time of the incident. Another, older child, was on the street at the time, but fortunately remained safe.
“The neighbor asked, ‘Did you just hit that baby?’ He was like, ‘No, it just happened so fast.’ Then he asked him again and he just drove off,” the mother added.
“One of those images was clear enough for us to believe it was a late model red Toyota Tacoma pickup truck,” said Arlington Police Det. David Szatkowski. “It has black rims, a black cover on the back and possibly has some damage on the driver’s side from where the boy was struck.”
“He’s taking it like a champ,” the mother said. “But no kid should have to go through that.”
The investigation is ongoing and authorities are still trying to find out the truck’s plate number or the identity of the driver. However, from the information given by the neighbor who saw the incident right away, the driver was described as a Hispanic male in his mid-30s who has short black hair and a goatee.
Anyone who recognizes the truck or has info should call the Arlington Police Department at 817-456-5786.