SARASOTA, Fla. — On Wednesday, Jayden Phillips was riding his bike home from school when a man driving a white work van hit him near Fruitville Road and Greenway Drive.
“All I knew is a van came towards me and the next thing I’m on the ground looking up at the sky,” Jayden said.
The force of the crash knocked Jayden to the ground and bent the back wheel of his bike. Two Good Samaritans ran over to Jayden to help. Jayden said the driver that hit him just sat in the car until the last second.
“He waits in his van, right, thinking of how he is going to deal with the situation,” Jayden said. “And then, two other people come out, and so he didn’t look bad he had to get out of the car.”
Jayden said he was in shock after he was hit and didn’t start to really feel the pain until he got home and told his dad.
“He said you won’t believe what happened,” John Phillips said. Phillips took his son to the hospital to make sure he didn’t have any other serious injuries. Despite the scrapes and some whiplash Phillips said his son will be OK.
He wants the driver to come forward and do the right thing.
“We called the number, it was disconnected. I just want to get his insurance,” Phillips said. “It is kind of messed up you hit a 12-year-old kid, you know what I mean, have some compassion.”
Jayden just got the bicycle in October for his 12th birthday. He learned a lot of tough lessons on Wednesday. Not only did he become the victim of a hit-and-run, but his bike is damaged, and he was grounded for not wearing his helmet.
“I took away his video games,” Phillips said. “He knows the rules for that.”
Father and son hugged after a quick laugh; both grateful it wasn’t worse.
“That’s my world, these guys are the reason for living for me,” Phillips said. “They make me a better person. There’s nothing better than coming home from work and having your kids come up to the car saying ‘we love you daddy and how was your day.’"
If you have any information in this case please call Sarasota police.
