A 15-year-old girl is recovering from a concussion and other injuries after she was struck by a vehicle while walking home from a school bus stop in Holbrook, Massachusetts, and the driver left the scene.
The crash happened around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, in the area of 10 North Shore Road, according to police. Investigators said the teenager was walking along the shoulder when a vehicle approaching in her direction struck her. The impact sent her onto the hood before she fell to the ground.
The girl was taken to a local hospital with injuries that police described as non-life-threatening. Her mother, Heather McDonnell, later said her daughter was using crutches because of her injuries and had been diagnosed with a concussion.
McDonnell said her daughter called her shortly after the crash. She described hearing her daughter crying and saying she had been hit by a car.
The teenager told her mother that she had briefly looked down at her phone before seeing the vehicle approaching. After being struck, she ended up off the roadway, with her belongings scattered nearby.
The physical injuries have not been the only difficulty for the teenager. Her mother said she has been sore, emotionally shaken and repeatedly reliving what happened.
“She keeps replaying everything in her mind,” McDonnell said, describing how her daughter has broken down in tears since the crash.
Police looking for black vehicle
Holbrook investigators are working to determine exactly which vehicle was involved and identify the driver.
Police have described the vehicle involved as black. Investigators are also looking into a report of a black SUV that was in the area with its rear hatch open around the time of the crash. Authorities have not confirmed that the SUV was the vehicle that struck the teenager.
The driver left the area after the collision, and no arrest had been announced in the latest reports.
Police have been canvassing the area and are asking residents along North Shore Road to check doorbell cameras and other surveillance footage that could have captured the vehicle before or after the crash.
The investigation could benefit from footage recorded shortly before or after the collision, particularly from homes and properties near the road.
Bus stop location also drawing attention
McDonnell said her daughter’s bus stop had been moved in recent years, requiring her to walk along a section of North Shore Road without a sidewalk on the way home.
Following the crash, the school and bus company told the family that the teenager would be dropped off at the end of her street instead.
For the family, however, the immediate concern remains finding the driver.
McDonnell said the vehicle and driver need to be located, emphasizing the seriousness of leaving an injured teenager at the roadside.
Holbrook police are continuing to investigate and are asking anyone who witnessed the crash, saw a potentially matching black vehicle, or has relevant surveillance footage to come forward.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Holbrook Police Detective Michael Szczesny at 781-767-1212.
