PHOENIX — Neighbors still remember the traumatic moment when a child was hit by a car on their street.
Nearly two months later, Yajaira Aguilera said she recalls a police cruiser swarming her neighborhood on June 7. Investigators with the Phoenix Police Department said the toddler ran into the middle of the street when they were hit and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
What Aguilera didn't know at the time, is that it was a marked Phoenix Police SUV that reportedly hit the child.
“I was in shock,” Aguilera said.
The toddler, who has not been identified by police, is still recovering from their injuries according to a Phoenix police spokesperson. When asked where the child is now, 12News was told either in the hospital or rehab facility.
12News obtained two separate videos from that day showing two different perspectives of the crash.
In one video, it shows the moments leading up to the crash. It appears to be video taken from a homeowner's doorbell security footage. It shows the police cruiser driving north on 11th Avenue toward Buckeye Road. Seconds later screaming can be heard from those who witnessed the crash.
The other video shows when the child was hit. You can see the toddler run out into the middle of the road as the police SUV approaches. The child stands in the street for less than five seconds before getting hit. The police cruiser immediately brakes after hitting the child. The officer is seen exiting the driver's seat as they and others who were there get on the ground and attempt to get the toddler out from under the vehicle.
On the day of the incident, a spokesperson for Phoenix police said the officer was driving back from a call for service when they noticed a girl on the sidewalk waving her arms around to get their attention.
“While the officers were looking at the girl, at the very last minute they saw a small child in the road,” said Phoenix Police Sgt. Brian Bower.
The officer who reportedly hit the child is back on patrol duty, according to a spokesperson.
This case is still under investigation.
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