MOUNT VERNON, New York (WABC) — A 31-year-old woman remains hospitalized after she was struck by a motorcycle while carrying her 4-year-old nephew in Mount Vernon, and the driver allegedly fled the scene.<\/p>\n
Alexess Perez spoke from her hospital bed, describing the moments before she was hit on South 3rd Avenue at about 7:20 p.m. after parking her car and beginning to cross the street. According to Perez, the motorcycle turned from East 4th Street and continued toward her.<\/p>\n
“He doesn’t decelerate or anything. Me and him lock eyes. and he just kept going and hit me,” Perez said.<\/p>\n
Perez said she was carrying her nephew, Silas, in one arm and a cat carrier in the other after a visit to the veterinarian. She said her immediate reaction was to shield the child from the oncoming motorcycle.<\/p>\n
“I kind of held him and I turned my body to get him away and so I took the full impact of the motorcycle, he completely hit me, the motorcycle flipped on top of me,” Perez said. “He fell on top of the motorcycle.”<\/p>\n
After the crash, Perez said the driver got up and spoke briefly before leaving.<\/p>\n
“When he stood up he was like, ‘Oh, i didn’t see you,’ which is bewildering to me because we locked eyes,” Perez said.<\/p>\n
Perez also said the driver smelled of alcohol.<\/p>\n
She suffered cuts, bruises and three fractured vertebrae and is undergoing further evaluation at Jacobi Hospital. Silas suffered bruises and is also hospitalized.<\/p>\n
Despite their injuries, Perez said she is grateful the crash was not worse.<\/p>\n
“Like you just get on your bike and go without a second thought? It’s insane, it’s scary,” Perez said.<\/p>\n
“God forbid that could have went any other way, if i didn’t take the hit and the baby would have taken the hit, would he be here?” she said.<\/p>\n
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