8-year-old, her mother recovering after truck hits them in Northeast Austin

AUSTIN, Texas - An eight-year-old girl and her mother are recovering after being hit by a truck in Northeast Austin last month. The driver ran off but was caught and is now in jail.

The incident happened on March 24 around 9 p.m.

"We were coming from church," Barbara Carter said.

Carter and her eight-year-old daughter, Anita, were riding in a motorized wheelchair down the sidewalk near the La Hacienda off Coronado Hills Drive.

"The truck just came out of nowhere," Carter said.

The driver of the Ram truck was 46-year-old Jose Martinez-Lorenzo.

"He should have stopped, we don’t know why he didn’t stop," eight-year-old Anita Gonzales said.

"Out of nowhere, he just came speeding and hit us," Carter said.

8-year-old Anita Gonzales

Anita and her mother fell to the ground.

"I remember when my mom threw us to the side, I didn’t really feel her throw us on the side or anything, because I was way too in shock, my brain went into the motion that it was just a lot," Anita said.

Anita said she was in pain.

"I was bleeding all from my achilles," Anita said.

"All I saw was lights right there, and I could hear my baby yelling, ‘mommy, mommy, my leg, mommy,’" Carter said.

While they tried to get help, the driver of the truck, Martinez-Lorenzo, took off.

"He needs help, and he needs to find God in his life," Anita said.

Court documents said Martinez-Loreno admitted to hitting the little girl and her mother, and drove to a parking lot about half a mile from the crash because he knew "he did wrong."

Jose Martinez-Lorenzo

A DPS trooper found Martinez-Lorenzo and arrested him. Investigators said there was damage to the truck and what appeared to be human flesh stuck to the driver-side door. Martinez-Lorenzo is facing a felony accident involving serious bodily injury charge.

Anita is recovering. She broke a bone and tore her achilles. She now uses a walker to get around in her cast.

"It was hard for me to sleep, especially because of how I was traumatized. I would say in my sleep, I’m okay, I’m okay, I’m okay," Anita said.

Anita and her mother said they'd eventually be okay. They’ve started a GoFundMe to help pay for Anita’s recovery.

"I’m just very thankful that we’re both alive and that she’s alive, and she’s breathing still, I can still hear her voice, I’m thankful for that," Carter said.

"I forgive him," Anita said.

Martinez-Lorenzo is being held in the Travis County Jail on $25,000 bond.