NORFOLK, Va. — A Norfolk mother says her son was struck by a car Saturday night while crossing the street near Old Dominion University's campus — and police said the driver left the scene.
Shaonna Mendez says she and her son Shia had just returned home from a family skate night when Shia went back outside to retrieve a charger from her car parked across the street. As he was walking back, she says he was hit.
"Shia was in the middle of the street there, already halfway across the street. Shia got flung down there down to the end of the street and landed on the grass," Mendez said.
Mendez had to run back inside her home to get her phone to call 911.
"My first thought - is my child breathing," Mendez said.
Shia was rushed to Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, where Mendez says he remains on a ventilator.
WATCH: Norfolk mom shares her story after son was hurt in hit-and-run
"He's stable, but he's not awake. He's not breathing on his own. He's on a ventilator and it's been like that since he got there," Mendez said.
Police later caught the driver. 18-year-old Christian Tabb faces a hit-and-run charge.
The incident happened off of West 40th Street, not far from ODU's campus.
"As a mother of one your first child, you always worry but now worrying about him, worrying about yourself - it's been hard. It's been rough," Mendez said.
Mendez says her son's recovery is unclear. She says he broke a femur bone, which could mean he needs a wheelchair while he recovers.
"They don't have a timeline on that. They're leaving it up to him to wake up and then they'll assess to see how he recovers," Mendez said.
Mendez says because the area is so close to ODU, she believes more needs to be done to slow drivers down — like speed bumps.
"I'm using my child as a vocal point, as am example, as a call for change in this neighborhood that something needs to be done," Mendez said.
For now, Shia's parents are left waiting for their son to wake up.
"It's very traumatic to replay that over and over especially when you look at your child on the hospital bed," Mendez said.
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