Valerie Ortiz, 8, still gets emotional when she thinks about what happened on Mother’s Day afternoon.
The video shows the moment she and her friend were nearly hit by a speeding car while playing in their front yard at the corner of Marys Avenue and Hill Street in Bay Point.
“My grandpa’s truck was in front of me, so I ducked so he couldn’t see me, but then he went really fast and ran into my driveway,” Ortiz said.
His mother, Mitzary Guzman, watched it all unfold.
“Yeah, he just shared that so many thoughts went through his mind and he said, ‘I wasn’t sure I was going to be kidnapped. I felt like I almost died,’” Guzman said. “It all happened so fast that you feel like that, you feel helpless … because you can’t get to the kids fast enough.”
No one was injured, but the driver hit Guzman’s car and drove off.
Guzman said it’s not the first time something like this has happened and that this incident shows it’s time for a change.
“I really hope we can get a speed bump,” he said. “We’ve asked for it before and I really think it’s necessary.”
He was unable to obtain the registration number of the vehicle, but has contacted the police and the City Council.
Meanwhile, her daughter is still trying to recover emotionally.
“My daughter explains that she no longer feels safe at home. She doesn’t feel safe playing in our front yard. And it’s very sad, you know?” Guzman said.
