NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A grieving mother and father are speaking out days after they lost their 2-year-old daughter in a hit-and-run in Northwest Miami-Dade that also sent them to the hospital, as police continue their search for the driver responsible.
Speaking through a translator on Sunday, Mirha Bazile and Mikenson Cherident said they’re struggling to get on with life after the sudden loss of their child, Maritza.
The parents were released from the hospital over the weekend and continue to recover from severe injuries from the crash that upended their lives, Wednesday night.
Bazile said she is in excruciating pain, but that does not compare with the agony of losing Maritza.
“My mouth is killing me, my back hurts, and I feel really terrible,” said Bazile through a translator.
According to Miami-Dade Police, the family of three was crossing the street near Northwest 10th Avenue and 116th Street when the driver hit them and never even stopped to help.
Area residents heard the impact and recorded the tragic moments that followed on video.
The footage shows Bazile lying in the street feet away from her daughter, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Friday afternoon, 7News cameras captured the family’s pastor, Jackson Janvier, as he consoled Cherident.
“When she realized that, she was crying. She feel bad, and then she said she doesn’t need her life. She really want to be dead, at this moment,'” said Janvier.
Janvier said he is taking care of the couple, who moved from Chile to the U.S. six months ago.
“They don’t have a house, they don’t have nothing. The church is the one who’s helping them, but I have a small church five years ago, so it’s not easy,” he said. “Now we keep talking to her everyday, and then to give her somewhere to, you know, to deal with that situation.”
The pastor said the only thing that can help heal this broken family is finding the person responsible for this tragedy.
“I need justice for this family,” said Janvier.
Janvier has set up a GoFundMe page to help Bazile and Cherident with expenses. If you would like to make a donation, click here.
If you have any information on this hit-and-run or the driver’s whereabouts, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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