PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) — A six-year-old boy and his family are sharing details about the day a ride on his tricycle turned into a night in the hospital.
Damien Morris was enjoying a day with his friends when a driver of a black sedan whipped around the corner of Sussex Street and Patrick Street in Petersburg last Friday. The driver rolled over the 6-year-old, and then sped away. While the search for the driver continues, Damien and his family are sharing their message to the community.
“I was at 100% health for a billion days and then I got hit, and then it hurt me really bad,” Damien said.
Maybe not quite a billion days… but either way, six-year-old Damien Morris is a survivor.
He’s in better shape than his tricycle, which he was riding when he was hit. His dad, Justin Morris, saw it happen.
“[The driver] ran over top of him, stopped the car… When I saw him, he took off,” Morris said.
Morris said his heart was pounding as he ran towards the smashed tricycle. At that moment, all he could think about was his son.
“My first thought was, ‘Did he survive?’,” Morris said. “Because I didn’t hear him at first… surprisingly, he stood up before I even got there.”
8News asked the six-year-old where he got that strength.
“I was trying to make myself walk, so I did it,” Damien said.
In addition to cuts and bruises, Damien had serious injuries to his ribs, as well as one of his lungs, and a Stage 2 liver laceration. Just days after being hit, the aspiring YouTuber is bouncing back faster than his family expected. He loves playing Roblox and Minecraft, but also helping others.
“Hi! I just want to help him,” the boy said when he saw a postal service worker walking up and down the street.
8News asked Damien how he feels now.
“Good!” Damien replied. “I can walk normal and jump, but I can’t run because I’ll get hurt!”
Damien still loves cars, but now he is extra careful whenever he’s near a street. His family is urging drivers to think about the kids and to be more cautious.
“He can’t be completely human,” Damien’s father said. “He went from literally being on the street with a neck brace on at the hospital to… I mean… for him to be up and walking around after less than a week is just insane, so it just shows how strong is.”
Damien’s dad told 8News that speeding is a major problem in their neighborhood and that, while Damien is lucky he survived, the next kid might not. More information about how the community is contributing to help the Morris family can be found here.
While he is physically on the mend, his family did describe the financial toll the injury has taken. That’s part of why they’re grateful to the community for their help. While speaking with the family, 8News saw first-hand the community spirit radiating from the neighbors in the area. Parents, kids and even dogs were out and about, smiling and playing together. Some ran up to Damien expressing their love for him and how thankful they were to see that he was okay.
This hit-and-run is still under investigation and police are still looking for the driver. Anyone with information is asked to call Petersburg Police at 804-732-4222.
