Boyle Heights

‘Why Did You Run?' 13-Year-Old Loses Leg After Motorcyclist Strikes Him in Boyle Heights

A 13-year-old boy was crossing Whittier Boulevard in Boyle Heights when a motorcyclist struck him but did not stop to help him.

LAPD

Joshua Mora's life changed in an instant when the 13-year-old was crossing Whittier Boulevard March 30.

Joshua was crossing the street in Boyle Heights when a motorcyclist struck him, and didn't stop to help.

The crash occurred on Thursday, March 30, around 3:30 p.m. Mora was walking across the crosswalk when the motorcyclist hit him, leaving him with injuries that led to the amputation of one of his legs.

People on scene helped him until the paramedics arrived.

"There were two men and a woman who helped me," Mora told Telemundo 52. "One of them held my foot with a belt so it wouldn't bleed."

The young man was taken to a local hospital, where he underwent some surgeries. His leg unfortunately couldn't be saved.

Given what happened, the teen does not understand how the motorcyclist did not stop, as required by law.

“I want to tell [the driver], 'why did you run?' Why didn't he help me get up or something?" he asked.

The incident has also been a blow to the family.

"Justice is what I'm looking for," his mother, María Serrano, said while crying. "That justice be done to him because it is not fair that...they have ended his dreams."

But, despite what happened, Joshua plans to move on. Perhaps he will no longer be able to fulfill his dream of playing his favorite sport, but he says he will try, even if he only has one leg.

“I like the game of basketball,” Mora said. “I play almost every day, when I'm at school. Now that I can hardly play, I'm still going to keep playing."

The person responsible for the accident is still on the run. Authorities point out that the motorcycle is black, and that it could have visible damage since the person aboard lost control and fell about 80 feet away from the victim.

Authorities ask anyone with information about the case to contact the Los Angeles Police Department.

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