UPDATE: We’re told the child, Sharon Gongora, is having surgery on her fractured skull Saturday, she is currently in fair condition.
If you would like to help an email account has been set up at: [email protected]. Checks can also be sent to “The Gongora Family” at 714 SE 9th street Grants Pass, Or 97526.
Tonight police are investigating what witnesses are calling a hit and run involving a five year old child.
NBC5’s Jennifer Elliott is live at the scene in Grants Pass,
Jennifer
Witnesses in this neighborhood say they’re in shock after seeing a vehicle run over a little girl right here as she and her mother were walking across the street around 8 this morning on their way to Head Start.
Hit and run. “He was excellerating away and she was just laying in the middle of the intersection and I just cant understand how someone could do that to a child,” says Julianna Riddle. She says she was right behind the matte black GMC Jimmy as a mother and 5 year old daughter crossed the street at 9th and Riverside in Grants Pass.
“She was crying histerically and her mother was crying,” says Riddle.
Neighbors tell us they were walking across this street when the vehicle came by and struck them sending one into the middle of the road.
“The lady didn’t speak any English so she interpreted for her,” witness Christy Garner tells us.
We spoke with Myryam Freeman who interpreted for the mother when police arrived.
“There was a stop where she was crossing but he just kept going,” Freeman tells us.
The little girl wasn’t the only one to get hit. She says the mother was: “She was yelling for the vehicle to stop she was struck and thrown and both wheels went over the little girl.”
Freeman says the girl’s whole side was run over, including her head. She was flown to Doernbecher’s Children Hospital in Portland with multiple injuries.
“She has a serious fracture on her skull and her arm was shattered,” says Myryam.
“She told her mom, I feel numb,” says witness Darlene Lutman.
“You could tell she was going into shock,” says Riddle.
The whole neighborhood is now on watch…
‘I know he knows what he did, but we’ll find him,” says Riddle.
Looking for the vehicle and the man, a person they say changed this street forever.
Again, we’re told the offending vehicle was matte black like a GMC Jimmy, with a male driver who appeared to be in his mid-thirties wearing sunglasses and a dark ball cap.
Freeman tells us the family has no means to cover medical expenses. A donation account is in the works. We will post more on it right here when we get that information.
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