Hammond police are seeking the public's assistance in the hit-and-run case involving a 14-year-old boy who was struck while riding his bicycle. The incident, which occurred at the intersection of Northcote Avenue and 169th Street on Friday around 6:15 p.m., has left the community alarmed and the family of the boy looking for answers. According to FOX32 Chicago, a dark-colored SUV ran through a stop sign, hitting the juvenile and subsequently fleeing the scene.
Left injured, the juvenile was found in a condition that, along with his age, was initially unreported. Surveillance footage has been sought to aid in the investigation, and the police believe that the suspect's SUV will show signs of damage on the front passenger side, resulting from the accident. As the boy was heading home from the YMCA when the crash took place, ABC7 Chicago reported on the dismay his mother, Diana McKemie, has shared, saying she would have forgiven the driver had they chosen not to leave the scene.
In a statement obtained by ABC7 Chicago, Diana McKemie recounted the chilling moment of receiving her son Michael McKemie's call. "It almost feels like you are violated in some type of way because I truly would have forgiven that person if they would have just stopped," McKemie said. The emotional plea emphasizes the mother's shock and the sense of injustice surrounding the event.
The Hammond Police Department continues the search for the driver and requests that anyone with information, dash camera video, or home surveillance footage contact them at 219-852-2941, as per FOX32 Chicago.
