JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 15-year-old is on life support after police said a man in an SUV hit him while he was riding his dirt bike Thursday evening on the Eastside.
Detectives said the driver of the SUV fled the crash scene at East 10th and Franklin streets, but then returned a short time later.
Family members said Cameron Miles underwent hours of surgery Friday, and they hope he will survive and make a full recovery.
Susie George, Miles' grandmother, said she saw her grandson at about 2 a.m. Friday and he was in bad shape with a head injury and a broken leg. She said a breathing machine kept him going.
George said Miles is recovering very slowly, with his family by his side.
"I think he is going to survive this," George said.
The teen's mother, Melissa Warren, said he was stable.
"He's doing much better, just got out of surgery and waiting for him to wake up," Warren said. "And as soon as he wakes up, we'll see if we can take the breathing tube out to see if he can breathe on his own. The surgery went fine. Leg's fine. Just worried about breathing part now."
The crash happened about 5:45 p.m. Thursday. Witnesses said Miles was on a dirt bike and collided with an SUV in the middle of the intersection.
"I screamed bloody murder, but he just couldn't stop," witness Sarah Roberts said.
Who was at fault is still under investigation, but witnesses said the man in the SUV drove off, leaving Miles unconscious and badly bleeding. They said he got out of the SUV and said, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," then looked at the boy and left.
Church members were leaving Tenth Street Baptist Church, feet away from the crash. They said one man knew the driver who fled and went to get him.
"He went to where he knew he lived at," Roberts said. "I think he talked him into coming back. But the man's face was bleeding, too."
Police said once the driver returned, he cooperated. There's no word yet on if he'll face charges for leaving the scene.
Warren said she honestly holds no ill will toward the man.
"It's not really his fault," Warren said. "I mean, Cameron ran a stop sign supposedly. I mean, it was a 30 mile zone, and I don't know who was going what. But to me it's both of their fault. … I don't worry about that dude or what happens to him. I just want my son out of the hospital alive."
News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith said detectives will take into account why the man left and what he did after the wreck.
"The shorter amount of time, the better," Smith said. "So they need to explain, 'I have a real good reason why (I) did not stop and render first aid it to the person.'"
Meanwhile, Miles' grandmother said she's praying for everyone involved.
"I'm glad he came back," she said of the driver. "I mean, I know of him. So I know it wasn't intentional or something like that. My prayers do go out to both of them."
