The Milwaukee community is rallying for justice after 8-year-old King "KJ" Hogan was struck in a hit-and-run while walking home from school on October 14. The Milwaukee Police Department is actively searching for the driver of a gray Jeep Cherokee that hit the young boy at the intersection of 35th and Scott, as reported by WISN. The incident, caught on a Milwaukee County bus surveillance camera, showed one of Hogan's siblings stating they saw a woman behind the wheel as the car drove off.
FOX6 News shared new video footage from the bus that revealed the moment of the crash. KJ suffered a broken jaw and a swollen face as a result, according to his mother Mildred Boyd. As they crossed the street to catch a bus after school, her older children witnessed the gray SUV look back before the driver fled the scene, running a red light and continuing on despite hitting a child.
Mildred Boyd, a school bus driver herself, felt her world tilt upon seeing her son injured. “When I saw him, I nearly broke down crying because my son's face really did look like someone hit him with a brick; he was very unrecognizable, very unrecognizable," Boyd told WISN. A lengthy and costly recovery lies ahead for KJ, whose mouth is currently wired shut, with medical appointments stretching into December.
Adding to the devastation, Boyd shared with BlackNews.com, “He is traumatized after this, all he keeps saying is he don’t want to play no more." The community's outcry is not only for KJ's recovery but also for a critical examination of reckless driving behavior. Boyd's words resonated with an exhausted plea: "It’s the reckless driving, no care for human beings, for the streets.”
With investigative efforts underway, the Milwaukee Police continue to review footage from the bus and are asking for the public's assistance. As the family copes with physical and emotional anguish, a GoFundMe campaign has been established to help with KJ's recovery.
