CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — A Cuyahoga Falls mother is urging the public for help after her 19-year-old son suffered severe head injuries from a hit-and-run crash on Halloween morning.
Isaac Vorhies was crossing Front Street on his way to The Natatorium around 7:15 a.m. when he was struck by a car that turned south from Bailey Road onto Front Street. The driver kept driving south towards Route 8 while witnesses attended to Vorhies.
"Accidents happen, but when you leave the scene knowing you hit another human, that's beyond evil, despicable," said his mother, Tami Vorhies.
According to police, the victim was in the crosswalk and had the right-of-way with a walk signal when he was struck.
"The witnesses said they hit him hard enough that he went into the air, landed on the hood of the car and rolled off and fell on the ground," Tami Vorhies said.
Isaac suffered a skull fracture and brain bleeds from a traumatic brain injury, but his mother said he is "very stable now" with a long road to recovery ahead of him. He's being treated at Summa Akron City Hospital.
"He's going to have some long-term issues, trauma, just trying to move forward with his life from this," she said.
Cuyahoga Falls police only have a limited description of the hit-skip vehicle: a red, 4-door mid-sized car.
Police are checking multiple cameras at nearby businesses and Flock cameras, which read license plates, as they search for any video of the car.
"We've been having officers do follow-ups in the general area to see if maybe we come across a red 4-door car that might have damage from where the pedestrian was struck," said Captain Gary Merton.
Police said, if found, the driver would face felony charges for leaving the scene of an injury accident.
"You strike someone and see him fall. You know you hit somebody or something and then just leave the area. It's sad," Merton said.
As Isaac continues to rest and recover, his mother is urging anyone with information on the incident to contact Cuyahoga Falls police, and she also delivered a message to the hit-and-run driver.
"To the person who did this, I hope your conscience keeps you awake and stirs you, and eventually, you come to your senses and turn yourself in," she said.
