Family pleads for help finding driver after hit-and-run injures teen cyclist in East New York
The 17-year-old was riding his bike to school when the incident occurred.
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A Brooklyn family is asking for the public's help after a 17-year-old cyclist was injured in a hit-and-run crash that was caught on surveillance video in East New York.
The collision happened Tuesday morning on Pitkin Avenue and Berriman Street as the teenager was riding his bike to school.
Video obtained by News 12 shows traffic moving along Pitkin Avenue when a cyclist enters the roadway. Moments later, a white SUV appears to fail to yield and strikes the teen before continuing away from the scene.
The teenager's parents, Bianca and her husband, say their son suffered injuries in the crash and is still recovering.
"I can't even watch that video because for that person to not even stop, don't even bother to call the ambulance, nobody even bothered," Bianca said.
The teen's father said his son called him immediately after the crash.
"I was on my way to work and he called me. I saw blood coming down his head and I called 911," he said.
While the family says they are grateful their son survived, they say he continues to experience pain from his injuries.
"He's recovering in pain. I have to check on him every night like, 'Are you OK?' I always say, 'Thank God you're still here.' It could've been so much worse," Bianca said.
Police say the investigation remains ongoing.
The family believes the driver was not alone in the vehicle and is urging anyone who witnessed the crash or has information about the white SUV to come forward.
"We understand that accidents happen. But we just want the person to stand up and own up to what he did," the teen's father said. "That person needs to be off the streets, move from behind the wheel. Nobody deserves to be like this."
The incident comes amid heightened concerns about traffic safety involving cyclists in New York City.
Earlier this month, News 12 reported on a 13-year-old boy who was hospitalized after being struck by a vehicle in Brownsville. Last month, three cyclists were killed in separate hit-and-run crashes across Brooklyn and the Bronx within three days.
Bianca says she hopes the driver will be held accountable.
"They need to be held accountable. I see my son and I see pain in his eyes. He's like, 'Why did this happen to me?' As a mom, I'm going through pain too," she said.
Anyone with information about the hit-and-run is asked to contact police.
