Family of teen struck by hit-and-run spends Christmas in hospital
Posted December 25, 2019 12:25 pm.
Last Updated December 25, 2019 2:20 pm.
BURNABY (NEWS 1130) – The family of a 13-year-old boy struck in a hit-and-run in Burnaby Monday is making a desperate appeal for the driver to come forward.
Milagro Guillen, the mom of the teen, has been at his bedside, as Joseph underwent surgery Christmas Eve morning.
“My heart [is] too, too broken,” she says. “Why didn’t [the driver] call the ambulance? Or 9-1-1? Why he leave? Because my son isn’t a dog. He’s a child.”
The family was home sometime Monday to pick up clothes and necessities before heading back to the hospital. They say Joseph’s leg is broken and he has a concussion.
Tammy Johnson, a family friend of the victim, says as a mother herself, this incident happened at the worst time of year.
“As a mother. It really just touches your heart, especially around the holidays right now like this, it couldn’t come at a worse timing,” she says.
The Burnaby RCMP says the boy was hit in the area of 17th Avenue and Humphries Street just before 5:30 p.m.
“The boy, unfortunately, does not remember a lot of what happened, but first and foremost, what we’re asking for is the driver of the vehicle to please come forward,” Cpl. Mike Kalanj with the Burnaby RCMP says. “We’d like to speak to you.”
There’s currently no description of the suspect vehicle, and Mounties are hoping you can help them track whoever is responsible down.
“We’re asking anyone in the area between 5:00 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. around Humphries Street and 17th Avenue [on Monday] to please have a look at your dashcam footage or bring it forward for us – we’d like to have a look,” he says. “We know the time because we know people have heard the incident, but what we’re looking for is a description of the vehicle.”
They’re also looking for CCTV video or dashcam footage that may have captured vehicles that were driving in the area.
If you have any information about this incident, you can contact the Burnaby RCMP at 604.646.999 or report anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 1.800.222.TIPS (8477).
-With files from CityNews’s Isabelle Raghem
