Condition Upgraded For Chase Thompson, Deerfield Boy Injured In Hit-And-Run
DEERFIELD, Ill. (CBS) -- There was a bit of encouraging news Sunday evening about the 12-year-old boy who was injured in a hit-and-run in Deerfield.
The family of Chase Thompson said he is no longer in critical condition. He is now conscious and breathing on his own at Lurie Children's Hospital.
That is significant progress from Friday, Feb. 7, when Chase was hit by a car along Deerfield Road and left for dead.
Chase has autism and is nonverbal, and is kept secure with double-cylinder locked doors at home. But with no jacket and no shoes, Chase still made it out of the family's home this past Friday and was hit by the car.
This past Friday, Stacy Shapiro, 46, of Northbrook, surrendered herself to authorities at the Deerfield Police Department after she was charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury. The felony punishable by 3 to 7 years in prison and fines not to exceed $25,000.
Police told Thompson they think the driver hit the boy at a full 35 mph, never hitting the brakes.
Chase's dad, Thad Thompson, had offered a $10,000 reward for to the driver, provided that the driver surrendered. But the driver did not surrender, and on Friday, he said the money would go to the tipster whose information led to Shapiro's arrest.