MIRAMAR, FLA. (WSVN) - A teenage girl is speaking out after she was struck by a hit-and-run driver while riding her bicycle in Miramar.
Laura, who did not give her last name, said she did not hear or see any approaching vehicles, but suddenly, she was struck and lying on the ground with broken bones. The driver of the vehicle that struck her then took off.
“They got a titanium plate,” she said while showing her injuries. “When they made a left, they hit the front tire and the right side of my body.”
Laura underwent surgery Wednesday morning for the injuries she suffered in the Jan. 20 collision. The teenager had routinely started taking her bicycle down Dykes Road for lunch in Miramar. As she got into the intersection of Southwest 29th Street, she was struck.
“I didn’t see any cars coming, so I decided to cross the street,” Laura said. “I got halfway across, and right before I was able to go onto the other sidewalk, the car made a left. I fell on the floor. I looked, and the car just started speeding, and it turned into the plaza.”
Laura then hit the ground. At first, she did not realize how injured she was from the collision. It was not until she stood up that the pain started to set in.
“Like 10 or 15 seconds after I got hit is when I started getting dizzy, and I started getting pain, especially in my shoulder,” Laura said. “I kept complaining that my shoulder was hurting, but really, it was my collarbone.”
Miramar Police are trying to track down the driver that took off. They sent out an alert describing the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run as a white Toyota FJ Cruiser SUV.
“I mean, this is a whole bicycle with a tire,” Ben, Laura’s father, said. “There’s no possible way he could not have known he hit something.”
Police said there should be damage to the front left corner of the vehicle, and Laura’s father believes someone should recognize it.
“This person shouldn’t be on the road,” Ben said. “I don’t know who it is, but whoever it is shouldn’t be on the road. They should have at least had the decency to stop.”
In the meantime, Laura continues her recovery with plates inserted into her arm and around her collarbone.
“She’s extremely lucky that she only has that damage,” Ben said. “It could have been so much worse.”
If you recognize the vehicle involved in the 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 $1,000 reward.
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