An 82-year-old woman spent part of Tuesday in jail after authorities say she struck a 7-year-old boy with her car and drove away, leaving the child seriously injured.
Karina Pubchara-Martinez is charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving bodily injury. She appeared in Miami-Dade bond court in a wheelchair and spoke through an interpreter.
“It’s alleged that you struck a seven-year-old child that was riding an electric scooter who was crossing the street with his mother,” Judge Mindy Glazer said during the hearing. “And after you struck the child, it’s alleged that you fled. The child had serious injuries and had to go to the hospital.”
The child’s family declined to speak on camera but told CBS News Miami he is recovering at home.
According to an arrest report, the boy’s mother said a silver Toyota Camry failed to stop after hitting her son as they crossed the street.
The crash left the child with a brain lesion and a broken femur. He has already undergone one surgery and will need another.
Deputies reported finding pieces of the suspect’s bumper in the intersection.
Pubchara-Martinez’s bond was set at $7,500. The judge granted an additional condition for her release: she is not allowed to drive.
