JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville woman made a plea to the public to help find the driver responsible for hitting her brother, who is in a wheelchair, leaving him with broken bones.
Pat Bales said it is a miracle that her 66-year-old brother, Edward Hopkins Jr., was still alive after he was hit at the corner of Terry and Randy Road in the San Souci neighborhood on Thursday.
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Hopkins was riding back to the Riverwood Nursing Home on his motorized wheelchair with groceries when neighbors said they saw a speeding white Hyundai Elantra slam into Hopkins, sending him flying into the air.
“I’m disgusted that someone would leave him on the road to die after hitting him, and they didn’t stop. There were no skid marks at all,” Bales said. “The impact was so hard that the bumper got wedged into the wheelchair.”
Hopkins’ other sister, Tyshelle Hunter, echoed similar sentiments:
“It is definitely a miracle. It is definitely a God thing that he’s not dead,” Hopkins said.
Hopkins was recovering in the ICU at Memorial Hospital, suffering from a broken back, clavicle and ribs.
“He is basically bedridden at this point,” Hunter said.
His sisters have been by his side, giving him encouragement and constant support. Bales also shared a message for the driver:
“I can’t imagine you being a cruel person to do this to another human being,” she said. “I may not know who you are, but God does. He saw it all. And you will be brought to justice. The best thing to do is turn yourself in.”
News4JAX reached out to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office for any updates. We did not immediately hear back.