5 days ago
Florida girl, 12, riding scooter seriously hurt after unlicensed driver hits her: FHP
CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A 12-year-old Florida girl was seriously hurt after an unlicensed driver hit her while she was riding a scooter, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
NBC affiliate WBBH spoke to the girl's grandmother, who told them that the girl, named Eden, remains unconscious and heavily sedated at St. Petersburg Hospital as of Friday night.
Investigators said the crash happened along Easy Street in Port Charlotte just after 5 p.m. on Thursday.
According to FHP, the 12-year-old was riding her electric scooter when she entered the path of a minivan.
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The driver, Arlin Salazar, was arrested after investigators said she did not have a valid license, which she had been cited for before.
Troopers said a man, who was in the passenger seat, fled the scene and hasn't been identified.
Neighbor Nicole Isgrig told WBBH that she was outside with her children when the road was suddenly blocked by emergency responders.
'We saw Eden's scooter at the end of the road and knew something was wrong,' she said.
Isgrig told the news station she won't let her kids out of her sight now. 'They can only ride where I can see them.'
WBBH reported that the 12-year-old suffered head trauma, internal bleeding, a broken collarbone, and a fractured lower back. She was wearing a helmet, which her family believes saved her life.
FHP told WBBH that it has referred Salazar's case to ICE for review.
The 12-year-old's grandmother is asking anyone who witnessed the crash or has Ring camera footage to contact the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office.
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