Boy riding e-bike seriously hurt in Westmoreland County hit-and-run crash

PENN BOROUGH, Pa. — State police are searching for a man who they say hit an 8-year-old boy with his car while the boy was riding his e-bike.

“We were scared,” said Theresa Whitefield, the boy’s grandmother. “When I got to the stop sign, I saw my grandson lying on the sidewalk. A gentleman was helping him, and they called 911 and got the cops and paramedics here for him.”

The boy, Ben Smith, was taken to Forbes Hospital and then to UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh.

He has scrapes and bruises, a swollen knee, and a concussion.

He was released from the hospital late Tuesday night and is doing better.

“We were expecting the worst,” his mom, Samantha Cook said.

“Yes, especially like a head injury,” added Whitefield.

Troopers said some surveillance cameras at nearby homes captured the vehicle involved. Troopers say the driver actually got out of his car after hitting the boy and moved the bike out of the road but didn’t help or call 911.

“How can you leave an 8-year-old boy just laying there, not checking on him?” asked the boy’s dad, Tony Smith. “How can you be such a heartless individual not to check on a child?”

“You’re acknowledging that you struck something. Even if you didn’t see a child, you struck a bike that was in the road,” Trooper Steve Limani said regarding the man getting out of the car just to move the bike. “There’s a really good chance someone was on that bike.”

State police say the driver has come forward. No criminal charges have been filed at this point.

Ben’s grandpa fixed his bike, which he got just 10 days ago.

His family is just glad he’s okay

“He could’ve been killed, he could have been, that guy could have left him on the side of the road dead,” Cook said.

If you have any information that will help state police find the man who hit that boy you’re asked to give them a call at 724-832-3288.

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