The late John Lewis recently said in a speech, “When you see something that’s not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.”
CBS Local in Los Angeles’ Rachel Kim reports that Sylmar resident Miguel Castellanos is taking that advice to heart after he witnessed a hit-and-run crash that left a 6-year-old boy injured.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department said that the accident happened at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 24, on Cobalt Street in Sylmar. A man was walking with his three male children when his 6-year-old went ahead of their group on his scooter.
The father watched in horror as a motorcyclist struck his son. The motorcyclist stopped and dismounted his vehicle for a moment while the child’s father comforted his son. The motorcyclist then got back onto his bike and sped away.
According to LAPD Officer Michael Sison, the motorcyclist did not attempt to render aid and did not give his information before fleeing the scene.
“It looked really bad. The accident is really bad from what I saw,” Castellanos told CBS reporters.
The little boy was taken to an area hospital to treat injuries to his head, face, and ankle. He was later released from the hospital and is expected to be ok.
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Video surveillance was taken from the crash; however, investigators have not been able to discern a plate number on the motorcycle so far. Authorities are still searching for the hit-and-run motorcyclist. They are described as a male, possibly in his 20s, riding a black and white Honda motorcycle.
Castellanos hopes that the person who hit a child and fled the scene can be tracked down. “Turn yourself in, stop being cowardly,” Castellanos said, addressing the culprit directly. “It’s gonna go a lot worse if you don’t, so just own up to it like a man, you know.”
The LAPD’s Valley Traffic Division is offering a $25,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the motorcyclist in the case. Anyone with any information is asked to call the LAPD at (818) 644-8000.
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