PLANTATION, FLA. (WSVN) - Police are searching for the hit-and-run driver who struck a 4-year-old boy and took him to the hospital before fleeing.
A car exiting the plaza at around 12:45 p.m., Thursday, struck 4-year-old Zhion Cooper who was walking with a woman and two other children, including one in a stroller.
It happened along the 2700 block of North State Road 7 in Lauderdale Lakes.
The toddler in the stroller was left uninjured, but Zhion sustained injuries that were not life-threatening.
Portia Cooper, Zhion’s mother, said he suffered a broken leg.
“When I got there, they had him in the waiting area. Crying. Screaming. Hollering. Leg hurting,” Cooper said.
The driver told the woman with the children that she would take the 4-year-old to the hospital.
Surveillance video captured the woman parking outside of Plantation General Hospital and helping the victim into the emergency room, followed by the woman with the other children.
The driver then returned to her car and drove away from the hospital, with the stroller in the car, without providing any identification or notifying police about the incident.
“I thank you for taking him to the hospital. I’d love to get your side of the story and see what’s wrong with my son,” Cooper said.
Broward Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Joy Oglesby said, “At the secondary scene, which is the hospital, she still makes the wrong choice and leaves. She doesn’t leave her name. She doesn’t leave any contact information. She doesn’t call law enforcement at that point. She just abandons the victim and the people that he was with. Drivers are supposed to always remain at the scene. They are not law enforcement. They are not medical personnel. They can’t determine whether they can safely transport someone.”
According to investigators, the driver who fled the scene was wearing a Minnie Mouse tank top, stripped shorts and was driving a light-colored Chrysler 200 sedan.
The 4-year-old victim has since been released from the hospital and is recovering at home, where he is expected to make a full recovery.
When asked what he remembered from the crash, Zhion said, “I said, ‘I want my mommy.'”
If you have any information on the woman involved in this hit-and-run, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $3,000 reward.
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