8-year-old hospitalized after Fort Worth hit-and-run

FORT WORTH, Texas - A third-grader who was hit by a car hopes the driver who injured him is arrested. 8-year-old Liam was riding his bike when he was hit. 

It was a blur for the child, literally. He says he briefly lost vision after being struck. A witness said the driver got out, looked at the boy, and then sped off.

What we know:

A routine hobby for 8-year-old Liam Park landed him in a hospital on Friday evening. Police are searching for the hit-and-run driver who put him there.

"That’s really mean of them to just drive away and not check on me, and now I have skin injuries, and I’m hurt, and they deserve to get arrested," said Park.

Park was riding with a friend in their neighborhood at the mercantile square apartments in North Fort Worth. 

Park says a black SUV came around a turn before colliding with Park.

The boy was transported to a local hospital with injuries. He has since been released and is expected to recover, though his mother told FOX 4 he is in a lot of pain and shaken by the incident.

What they're saying:

He does not remember what happened next.

A witness, however, told police the driver got out, looked at the child and drove away.

"When I got ran over, my vision turned blurry," said Park.

"They should have got out and checked on me and like called someone or something, and they should’ve helped me, but they decided to get back in and drive away."

The boy's mother, Baylea Christiansen, said her son was struck by a black SUV near an apartment complex on Vela Lane in north Fort Worth. 

"I had his friends running in our front door telling me he was hit by a car," said Christiansen.

"My kid was left to be helped by a bunch of other kids in the street and I know that somebody must have seen something — and whether it’s a neighbor or the person who did it I hope the person comes forward with some information."

The boy’s parents voiced their concern upon finding out Liam had been hit. 

"Every time I look at him, I mean I put myself in his shoes and it hurts. It hurts every time," said his father, Kyle Park.

Local perspective:

No broken bones, but it'll take time to recover from severe skin injuries.

As police search for the driver, Park says friends, neighbor and others are checking in on him. A bit overwhelming for the third-grader. 

So, for now, he’s just doing his best to recover.

"Getting messages, calls, people coming to my door. ‘What happened, what happened, what happened’ and stuff. And they won’t stop harassing me about what happened," said Park.

"But I told them 1,000 times, and they just keep on going."

What's next:

Police have minimal information on the driver or the vehicle. Authorities are asking the public to contact them with any information regarding the crash.

If you have any information regarding the incident, contact Fort Worth Police Department.