Immokalee woman hits 7-year-old boy going to his school bus stop

A child has severe injuries on Monday morning after an Immokalee woman hit the 7-year-old boy with her car while he was crossing the street to his school bus stop.

Alyssa Molina was working at a nearby gas station when a group of people ran into it.

“So I came to the door and the window and seen that there was a child on the ground,” Molina said. “They had told us that the kid had got run over, or hit by a car or whatever, and I started to panic so I called 911.”

A 27-year-old woman was driving a Jeep Renegade west on New Market Rd towards Glades Dr. around 7:50 a.m. According to the Florida Highway Patrol press release, the mother and the victim, Carlos Cortez Jr., were crossing New Market Rd. on their way to his school bus stop.

The left front of the Jeep propelled into Carlos. The boy has since been airlifted to Lee Memorial Hospital with serious injuries, the press release states. The driver stayed at the scene after the crash and FHP is investigating how the incident happened.

“This road is like insanely busy for like kids to be able to cross and their bus stops,” Molina said.

Molina hopes something like a crosswalk, a crossing guard or speed bumps can be put in to help make the area safer for kids. In the meantime, she is praying for the boy and his family.

“I hope you’re ok,” Molina said. “I hope everything comes out well.”