ALLIANCE, Ohio — A Stark County mother is outraged and calling for justice after her 4-year-old son was seriously hurt by a hit-skip driver.
Investigators continue to search for the driver and a vehicle that likely has damage on the right side of it following the hit-and-run incident that happened Monday night on Greenbower Street NE in Lexington Township near Alliance.
The injured boy, Halo Manzanares-Waddle, suffered a broken leg, broken collar bone and road rash.
His mother, Amber Manzanares, initially took him to Aultman of Alliance Hospital. He was transferred to Akron Children's Hospital. He was discharged Wednesday afternoon.
Manzanares said it could have been much worse and fought through tears during an interview with News 5 outside of the Akron Children's Hospital before the boy was sent home.
"When I saw this happen, I thought that I was losing my baby boy. I thought I was going to lose my life because I love him so much," she said. "That's my baby. I don't know what I would do if I lost him."
Manzanares said Halo and a friend were playing on the driveway around 8 p.m. She had warned them to stay out of the street, but at some point, Halo went into the roadway.
Manzanares watched in horror as a car traveling west on Greenbower struck the boy.
"It's like coming down. I'm like, 'Get out of the road! No!' And then, they tried to slow down. They struck him and then they just left," the mother said.
Manzanares said she couldn't wrap her mind around how somebody could flee the scene after hitting a kid with a car.
"Honestly, I don't know how anyone could hit anyone, especially a small child, and then just drive off," she said. "What if he had passed away"? What if he had died? What about the family— like the mother, the people involved, the children, him— traumatized. That is beyond me. I don't understand how somebody could be so heartless."
While it may have been an accident, investigators said the driver could face a felony charge for leaving the scene of an injury accident if he or she is located.
Stark County Sheriff George Maier said "the stakes are raised" when there's an incident like this that seriously injures a child.
"We've done good old-fashioned police work, boots on the ground, canvassing the area, looking for cameras, trying to locate the potential vehicle that could have been involved. I can't say that we've had any real solid leads although we are certainly checking out every lead that we get," Maier said.
Deputies said the vehicle, possibly a dark-colored four-door sedan, may have damage to the right front passenger's side body of the car, including a broken headlight lens.
Manzanares has a message for that driver.
"I just would ask for you to come forward and know that our family is not out to get you or attack you in any way. We just want a little bit of justice for Halo."
In the meantime, the mom is counting her blessings knowing that Halo will make a full recovery in time.
"I'm just thankful to God that he's alive. I guess that's all I really have, all I really needed right now is for him to be alive."
Anyone with information on the hit-skip is asked to contact an anonymous Stark County Sheriff's Office tip line at 330-451-3937.
