Bronx Hit-And-Run Victim Says Driver 'Just Walked Away'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The victim of a hit-and-run that was caught on surveillance video in the Bronx spoke out on Tuesday.
Aracelis Criollo, 51, was crossing the street in front of 525 Jackson Ave. in Mott Haven at around 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 19 when she was hit.
"I was excited that day," she told CBS2's Dave Carlin. "I was going to go see my grandson and never made it."
Video captured by supermarket surveillance and released by police shows a gray Honda backing up into Criollo, knocking her to the ground.
The driver stops, gets out of the vehicle, and walks toward Criollo, who said she was on the ground in agony. But instead of helping her, the driver began berating her.
"He's getting mad at me and told me to get up. He said, 'You're OK. Get up, get up.' And he said it was my fault and I told him I couldn't get up," Criollo said.
At one point, the man is seen talking into a cellphone, but Criollo said he didn't call 911.
"That's when he was telling someone that he hit me; 'I just hit a woman.' And I guess he was going to see her and he was going to be late," Criollo said.
Moments later, he gets back into the car and drives off.
"He didn't care for life; he just walked away," Criollo said. "The way he treated me ... I can't forgive him. I can't believe people are still out there like that."
Criollo suffered a lot of scrapes and bruises, and doctors said she has a torn ligament in her leg.
"I'm going into therapy right now. My knee's still swollen, but I'm alive," Criollo said.
Neighbors told Carlin that too many cars and trucks double park along the 500 block of Jackson Avenue where the incident took place, and they think that may have been a contributing factor.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS, log onto the Crime Stoppers website, or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) and enter TIP577.
