Long Island Teen Unable To Work, Medical Bills Piling Up After Being Struck By Hit-And-Run Driver
LYNBROOK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork)-- A Long Island family is appealing for justice this week. Their teenage son was hit while riding his bicycle and had to undergo serious life-changing surgery.
The driver responsible for it all just took off when he hit the teen, CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reported.
Jeffrey Francisco began his day with a trip to the doctor, again. The Lynbrook High School student suffered severe cuts to his rectum, kidney damage and more. He was slammed from behind and thrown off his bicycle just a block from his home after being hit by a driver speeding down Broadway just after 11 p.m. one month ago.
"After I got hit with that impact I was in shock," he explained.
He crashed to the ground. Surveillance video shows him eventually staggering to his feet.
"That's when I was feeling the pain. People in the building started to come out because they heard the impact and heard me scream too," he said.
Leaning on a ledge, he grabbed his phone to speed dial his parents.
"So when I get there I immediately called 911. He is still alive, but when the doctor at the hospital told me they had to do emergency surgery, I got nervous," said the teen's father, Froilan Francisco.
"Crying a lot, because I was scared I going to lose my son," the said teen's mother, Verqui Francisco.
Meantime, medical bills are mounting. Jeffrey is due for more major surgery in August and he is out of a summer job and unable to exercise due to his ruptured colon.
"I can't really go to the beach or go to the pool without showing this off and I don't want to," he said.
The teen's parents are praying that justice will be served.
"I just want to say please to the driver, if he has family, please come back to report it and take responsibility, we have a lot of bills from the hospital," Froilan Francisco said.
Police said it is likely the car involved is a silver Subaru Impreza made between 2002 and 2007.
Police are looking for a witness from that night who was driving a white vehicle and made a u-turn and followed the suspect, perhaps to get a plate number. They are urging anyone with information to come forward.
Police said the hit-and-run vehicle lost part of its front end and the driver was going 50 in a 30 mile per hour zone.
