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An 82-year-old woman in Florida struck a 7-year-old boy who was riding his scooter last month, subsequently fleeing the scene and leaving the child critically injured.
Karina Pubchara-Martinez, in an interview with WTVJ, explained that the child had not stopped as he should have on January 10, resulting in the collision.
“I was just passing by, and they didn’t stop when they were supposed to, leading to the accident,” she stated. “But since I drove away, I’m in a worse situation.”
The boy’s mother, who was present outside with her son during the incident, expressed her distress.
“If I hadn’t been outside, I might have discovered him in a much worse condition,” she remarked. “I can’t comprehend how someone could hit a child and just drive off.”
The boy was taken to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, where he was treated for serious injuries, including a head injury, a brain lesion, and a broken femur.
“He has a long road ahead of him,” his mother said. “He can’t do the normal things he does for I don’t know how long, and the most important is the head. He needs to have an MRI and continually monitor his head.”
Officers who responded to the scene found parts of Pubchara-Martinez’s car, including the front bumper, in the road, but they didn’t find the car until January 22, with it’s front end damage still not repaired, Law&Crime said.
Investigators placed her at the scene using cell phone data and charged her with leaving the scene of an accident with serious injury. She turned herself in on Monday and appeared in court the next day.
“I pray for him … and I’m sorry for what happened,” Pubchara-Martinez told WTVJ.
She was released on a $7,500 bond and ordered not to drive.