LAPD searching for motorcyclist after 13-year-old boy loses leg in hit-and-run crash
The teen said he was crossing the street to get a haircut when he was struck.
BOYLE HEIGHTS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles police are asking for the public's help in tracking down a hit-and-run suspect after a 13-year-old boy lost his leg in a crash.
The boy was crossing Whittier Boulevard at Orme Avenue in a crosswalk about 3:30 p.m. Thursday when a motorcyclist struck him, LAPD said in a news release.
New video of the crash's aftermath shows the motorcyclist fall to the ground and tumble as the bike skids across the street. The motorcyclist gets up, dusts himself off and then gestures angrily. He then takes off.
"The suspect remounted his motorcycle and fled the scene eastbound on Whittier Boulevard, failing to stop and identify himself or render aid as required by law," police said.
The victim, 13-year-old Joshua Mora, lost his right leg in the crash and remains hospitalized in critical condition.
"I tried to go back a little bit so he wouldn't hit me that hard and I went back a little and that's when he got my leg," said Mora during an interview with Eyewitness News on Tuesday. "That's when I fell back and blacked out a little bit."
The teen said he was crossing the street to get a haircut when he was struck.
"I'm being strong, staying positive. I got my family here, supporting me," said Mora.
The suspect was described only as a male. The motorcycle was described as black, with damage that occurred during the collision, police said.
A $25,000 reward is being offered to anyone who can help identify the motorcyclist.
Meanwhile, Mora's family has launched a GoFundMe to help pay his medical bills. So far, they've received more than $26,000 in donations.
City News Service contributed to this report.
