13-year-old who lost leg during hit-and-run in Boyle Heights speaks out
The 13-year-old boy who lost his leg during a hit-and-run in Boyle Heights on Thursday is speaking out, hoping that the motorcyclist who hit him will turn himself in.
"I remember the cars stopping. I remember the bike. I thought it was gonna stop for me, turns out he didn't," Mora said on Saturday, while speaking with KCAL News.
Josh Mora was walking across the street at Whittier Boulevard and Orme Avenue at around 3:30 p.m., when he was struck by an unknown rider. Surveillance footage released by Los Angeles Police Department Friday evening shows the moments following the collision, which caused Mora to lose his right leg.
"The suspect lost control of the motorcycle, fell to the ground, and slid approximately 80 feet before stopping," said a statement from LAPD. "The suspect remounted the motorcycle, and fled the scene eastbound on Whittier Boulevard."
Mora doesn't remember anything following the impact until he woke up at LAC + USC Medical Center. On top of losing his leg, he suffered injuries to his chest, arms and head.
"It's horrific," said Mora's brother, Oliver. "I can't picture that in my mind because I wasn't there to see him. ... Or my dad carrying his leg."
Mora's parents witnessed the entire incident, hoping that the suspect will turn themselves in and right the wrong as their son continues to fight in the hospital.
Though he's expected to undergo more surgeries in coming days and will be fitted for a prosthetic leg sometime in the future, Mora is doing his best to keep his head up.
His ultimate dream is to suit up in the NBA one day, and though he knows the collision will be a major setback, he isn't giving up on his goal of playing for his favorite team — the Los Angeles Lakers.
