Her heart may have been in the right place but Broward Sheriff’s investigators feel her head was not when the hit-and-run driver disappeared after taking a 4-year-old child to the hospital.
The woman reversed course and came forward after seeing news reports about the incident and the televised pleas of the child’s mother, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said Thursday.
About a week ago a babysitter was walking with three children in the 2700 block of North State Road 7 when a Chrysler 200 drove out of the parking lot of the Lauderdale Lakes Shoppes, investigators said.
It was about 12:45 p.m. on March 14 when the car struck Zhion Cooper, 4, of Pompano Beach, and knocked over a stroller with a toddler inside. Witnesses saw the stroller fall into the street but the toddler was not hurt, officials said.
The driver took the babysitter and three children to Plantation General Hospital where surveillance video later showed the driver carrying one child in through the emergency room entrance and the babysitter walking in with the other two youngsters.
The driver retured to the car and drove off without leaving any identification, contact information, or without calling 911. She also kept the stroller, which traffic homicide detectives said is evidence.
The child’s injuries were not life-threatening, officials said.
Portia Cooper told WPLG Ch.10 her son suffered a broken leg and she wants the driver to come forward.
“Thank you for taking him to the hospital, but you should have stayed,” she said.
The next day, the Broward Sheriff’s Office announced that the driver had come forward.
“The female driver in this case contacted detectives immediately after seeing news reports and is cooperating with the investigators,” a spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office said.
The Chrysler 200 she drove was white or silver and the she wore a light blue or teal Minnie Mouse tank top, striped shorts, eyeglasses, and her long dark hair was in ponytail, in the video.
Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact Detective Donnard Huneke at 954-321-4842.
Anonymous calls can be made to Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477 or go online at browardcrimestoppers.org.
wkroustan@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4303 or Twitter @WayneRoustan
Elusive suspect in fatal hit and run is arrested, cops say
Driver in fatal hit-and-run may not have realized someone was hit, cops say