STONEHAM, Mass. (WCVB) – A Massachusetts grandmother was hospitalized with severe injuries after a hit-and-run, but she was able to save her 7-year-old granddaughter from danger.
Riley Ward, 7, remembers every moment of the Saturday night crash that sent her grandmother, 69-year-old Louise Ward, to the hospital, where she is in the intensive care unit. The little girl says her grandmother saved her, pushing her out of the way just in time.
“Good thing I didn’t get hit, but my nana did,” Riley said. “She pushed me, so I could get back to where the cars couldn’t hit me, back on the path.”
Police say it appears Ward was crossing the street in the crosswalk with Riley and her dog about 8:45 p.m. in Stoneham. Video of the incident shows a small silver SUV hit Ward before taking off, leaving Riley screaming for help.
“I was just raising my hand and screamed, and people pulled over and helped me,” the girl said.
The driver who hit Ward is still on the run. Police say it’s likely they were speeding at the time of the crash.
While Riley says her grandmother is strong, the 69-year-old faces a long road to recovery. She suffered fractures to her hip, pelvis, wrist, humerus, neck and back as well as brain bleeds, according to her daughter, Erin Dirks.
“She’s out for a night walk with her granddaughter and their dog, and someone just runs them down in the sidewalk and doesn’t care,” Dirks said.
Ward’s family is now pleading for the driver to turn themselves in.
“I’ve heard the audio recording of the incident. You know that you hit somebody. You have an opportunity to be a better person than you were Saturday night. Saturday night, you were a loser,” Dirks said.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Stoneham Police.
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