Luis Santiago Charged In Dorchester Hit And Run That Left 11-Year-Old Francis Nedwell Seriously Hurt

DORCHESTER (CBS) - Luis Santiago, the driver charged in a hit-and-run that left an 11-year-old boy pinned under a car last month, pleaded not guilty in court Friday. Santiago, 27, was identified for the first time in the case during his arraignment in Dorchester District Court.

He is charged with leaving the scene of personal injury in the September 29 crash. He was ordered held on $1,000 bail.

Fifth-grader Francis Nedwell was walking to school, crossing the street when an SUV hit him at Columbia Road and Intervale Street. The driver did not stop. The impact pinned the boy underneath another car.

In court Friday, prosecutors said Santiago drove off with significant damage to his bumper, enough damage that he had to have known he hit someone.

Investigators said one vehicle did stop to let Nedwell, his sister and another child cross the street but Santiago allegedly sped past, hitting the boy and throwing him a considerable distance. It was all caught on surveillance video.

"Initially, when you watch the video you can't actually even see where the child goes. He ultimately is found under a parked vehicle that's about two car lengths up from the crash on the right hand side of Columbia Road," the prosecutor said.

Nedwell was just released from Boston Children's Hospital after spending about three weeks there. He needed three surgeries to repair a skull fracture, a broken pelvis and damage to his nose and ribs.

Boston Police said they found the SUV hours after the crash and the driver two days later. Prosecutors said when police went to Santiago's home and confronted him about what happened they say he fell to his knees.

Santiago was summonsed to Roxbury District Court and his identity was not released for three weeks until Friday's arraignment.