Teen's Family Mourns Amid Search For Hit & Run Driver
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FT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - A family mourns as police look for a driver who hit and killed a Fort Lauderdale teen Monday night.
The driver slammed into 15-year Jaliah Cross who was on her way home after going to the store around 9 p.m. for a snack. It all happened when she went to cross NW 15th Avenue near NW 11th Street.
The driver then sped off.
Jaliah's mom, Felissa Williams, can't believe her child is gone and that who ever hit her did nothing to try to save her.
"You hit somebody and kept going. That was my baby, 15-years old. My baby. You took my baby and it's like no remorse, cuz you didn't even stop to try to help her and you killed my baby," said Williams.
People nearby heard the crash and saw the driver speed off.
"I heard the loud boom noise and then I heard the car screeching out. By the time I open up my door he was right in front of my house speeding off," said Lula Quiala.
Cross, who attended Dillard High School, was taken to Broward Health Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.
Cross' friends remember her as a happy girl who loved to sing and dance.
"We did everything together, we were just talking about making plan, a bucket list and what she wanted to do for her birthday," said Naktris Doe. "We were supposed to grow up, our kids would be best friends too."
On Tuesday, parents in the area walked their kids to school, afraid another child could get hit on busy 15th Avenue. They're hoping for speed bumps or something to slow down drivers. But for now they'd just like whoever hit Cross and took off to own up to what they did.
"Please, whoever this person is, please, please, please, just have some type heart as if it was your own child and turn yourself in," said Michelle Doe.
Neighbors put up a roadside reminder of what happened to Jaliah. They hope someone will come forward with information.
"Then he just pull off and left this little girl like she's trash. Knowing you hit this lady, turn yourself in. That's a child baby, not no animal," said neighbor Stacy Cooper.
Anyone with information is urged to call Broward Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS.
