NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — A 16-year-old boy was rushed to the hospital Wednesday night after getting hit by a car in New Port Richey.
The driver of the car then took off from the scene, according to the New Port Richey Police Department. The boy was unresponsive when first responders arrived and was taken to Bayonet Point Hospital as a trauma alert patient. Police say he suffered "traumatic injuries to his lower body."
The collision happened just after 10 p.m. at Madison Street and Illinois Avenue.
Investigators are now searching for a Kia Forte four-door sedan with a driver-side mirror missing. It was last seen heading south on Madison Street.
The police department says that the boy's condition has improved since the crash.
If you have any information regarding the hit-and-run or the car in question, you're urged to call the New Port Richey Police Department at 727-841-4550.
This incident is among the latest hit-and-run crashes that state law enforcement and safety officials are calling a "disturbing trend."
2023 became yet another year where Florida saw more than 100,000 (101,759) hit-and-run crashes, including 262 cases where people lost their lives, according to preliminary data from the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle's cash dashboard. The majority of crashes only resulted in property damage.
Just this past weekend, police in St. Petersburg said someone hit one of their officers before taking off, which came just days after someone hit and killed a 70-year-old woman. There's now a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
People who leave the scene of a crash can face a mandatory four-year minimum prison sentence if it becomes deadly.
That's why troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol are stressing their message to "Stay at the Scene" if you're involved in a crash.