Miami Teen On Life Support After Hit-And-Run Accident
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The family of a teenager badly injured in a hit-and-run crash is begging for help to find the driver who hit her.
The family of 18-year-old Dericka Banks said she suffered head trauma, multiple broken bones and is not able to breathe on her own.
About 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, her boyfriend was walking her home along NW 13th Avenue. The couple was crossing NW 54th Street when he said a car slammed into Dericka and just kept going.
"Boom! It was real loud. Then when I looked out she was on the front of the car then she was going in the air and she fell to the floor," Satchal Rivers told CBS4's Maggie Newland.
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"To see her like this now is just a very emotional moment for the family for everybody," added cousin Ronnie Smith.
Her family is used to seeing Dericka having fun, dancing or playing with her three year old nephew.
She just turned 18 and had big plans for her future. Her family said the high school junior had already received a scholarship for college.
"She talked about school all the time, try to make a better life, that's what she talked about," said Rivers.
Now her family is just praying they'll see Dericka dance and laugh again.
"There's no words I can say," said her mom, Veronica Banks. "I just want my daughter to be well, be my daughter again, be my child. Come on wake up. Do this for her mom."
Family members are urging the driver who hit her to come forward.
"Just come forward so we can have some kind of peace. That's all I ask," said Rivers.
Rivers said the car that hit Dericka may have been a champagne colored SUV and it likely has front-end damage. It could possibly be missing a bumper, which he said was left on the road after the crash.
If you have any information, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS.