MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Police continue to search for the driver of a SUV a day after it struck a Marine veteran in a crosswalk outside Berclair Elementary.
Chris Paden tells WREG that his son, who is also named Chris Paden, had gone to the school with his five-year-old daughter to pick up his two school-aged daughters around 3 p.m.
“The cars were stopped at the crosswalk. One of them was revving its engine, kind of inching forward so he stepped in front of the car to let his daughter and the other people pass,” said the senior Paden.
Paden said his son exchanged gestures with the driver before the SUV accelerated and hit his son.
A witness tells WREG that the junior Paden was flung onto the hood and was carried about 100 feet before falling off.
“When he fell off, he run over him,” said Paden’s father.
The weight of the SUV crushed several of his bones including both of his legs as well as a hand and ankle.
Paden said his son underwent surgery early Tuesday morning and will have to have at least two more surgeries.
The SUV, possibly a Toyota 4Runner, is described as gray or silver in color with tinted windows. No one police spoke with was able to provide a license plate number or a description of the driver.
Paden is urging anyone with even the smallest detail to provide it to investigators.
“If he’ll do this, just as random, next time it might be your child at their school and they might not be as lucky as my son,” he said.
Anyone with information for police can call Crimestoppers at 901-528-CASH.
A Gofundme account has been set up for Paden.