Boy, 13, recovers after hit-and-run incident

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - An Orlando teen is now awake and talking after a hit-and-run in Orlando.

“Why didn’t you just stop?” asks Tami Loechner of the driver who left her 13-year-old son, Cody, on the ground Saturday night.

She says she’s been by his bedside ever since.

“He’s going to have to relearn how to walk again, how to eat again, how to write again. He has a very, very long road of recovery ahead of him,” she said.

Video of the incident has been released by Florida Highway Patrol.  Troopers said it shows the car that they are looking for after Cody’ was struck at Alafaya Trail and Science Drive. 

“We know it’s a 2005, approximately, Toyota Avalon,” said the Loechner Family attorney, Sam Dunnway. “We can see Cody and his friends crossing the street. We can see the car going by. We can see the car starting to slow down and then proceeding to go in what seems to be very fast manner.”

Loechner said she’s relieved that there’s video, but she still can’t believe the driver left the scene 

“You didn’t care if that person was dead or alive. You just kept going and left them there like a stray animal.”  

Her attorney said there’s only one thing left for the driver to do.

“Turn yourself in, and do the right thing. This happens far too often,” Dunnway said.

Loechner said a Go Fund Me page will be up soon, to help with medical expenses.