Mother of 5-year-old hit by car speaks out

FOX 7 spoke with the mother of a 5-year-old boy who miraculously survived being hit by a car in East Austin.

Her biggest wish is for the hit-and-run driver to be found.

APD is analyzing surveillance video to determine exact details of the suspect car. They believe the driver was speeding through a school zone.

5-year-old Marquese has a few scratches but other than that, you would never know he was the victim of a hit-and-run.

His mother says it's a miracle.

"It was God. He definitely had some angels watching him. I mean, anybody who saw that video, you know they're saying the same thing," says his mother Samisha Hutchison.

Surveillance video shows three children crossing the street. One is on a bike, another one running and then Marquese. All of a sudden he gets hit by a car and sent flying into the air. The suspect drives off. 

"Why are you speeding? There are school zone lights on; you're in a school zone. Why didn't you stop? Are you that cold-hearted that you just didn't care? Or you've done this before and got away with it?," says Hutchison.

This happened last Monday around 7:00 a.m. in the 3500 block of Webberville Road. Across the street was Al's Food Store and Oak Springs Elementary School. Neighbors are demanding changes be made to make the area safer.

"It's too crazy. Without a light or speed bumps or something, I feel like nothing is going to change. Kids are just going to get hit more," says neighbor.

APD Detective George Burbank has been carefully analyzing the surveillance video.

"See he's breaking really hard at that point," says Detective George Burbank.

The suspect car is believed to be a 4-door Hyundai Accent or Honda Accord, silver or light grey in it's late 90's, with aftermarket wheels and tinted windows.

Detective Burbank says both drivers and pedestrians need to be alert.

"Even though the sun may be starting to come up, I would say leave your headlights on. It appears to me that the children did not see the car coming because it did not have headlights on. I think if it had headlights, they would have seen it and stopped before crossing the street. As far as the children go, in a school zone, you should be crossing at a designated place," says Detective Burbank.

Hutchison says it's something she teaches her kids every day but it was just an unfortunate situation.

Marquese suffered a concussion. Luckily he's recovering well, with the help of his family and video games.

APD says they see about 1,000 hit-and-runs a month. About 20-percent of the time, the suspect is found.