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'Somebody just had such a disregard for him and his life:' Jacksonville boy hit by a car while riding his bike from school

The boy's mother says he is too scared to get back on a bike.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Matthew Lawrence, 8, is expected to be okay after getting hit by a car. His mother said he was riding his bike home from school. 

The child is expected to have surgery by the end of the week. He suffered injuries to his face, right arm and back. His mother said Matthew is too scared to ride his bicycle again. 

On Thursday, Feb. 23, Shakoiya Lawrence said she was at work when she got a phone call that left her feeling numb. A pain, she said, no other mother should experience. The Jacksonville mother said her son was riding through a neighborhood on Lambing Drive near 103rd Street, a busy highway. 

Lawrence mentioned how her son was unconscious while lying in the grass after he was hit. The driver was nowhere to be found. 

"When I talked to him and I asked him last night, I was like, 'What do you want us to do to this person? What do you want the police to do to this person?' He said, 'I just want an explanation. Why would you leave me?'" Lawrence said. 

Matthew is described as a sweet kid who is full of life. His Godmother, Nakita Johnson, said he's well-mannered. 

"He's always 'yes ma'am, no ma'am'," Johnson chuckled. "It kind of angers me that somebody just had such a disregard for him  and everything." 

The child's parents said the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office are investigating the hit-and-run. People who live in the neighborhood said the authorities have already confiscated broken car pieces. The child's parent and guardian said they want answers and justice. 

Matthew's family wants residents to remain vigilant, looking for the person responsible. The family is looking for a white vehicle with damaged lights in the front and one of the side mirrors broken. 

People are asked to call Crime Stoppers if there is any information that can lead to an arrest. 1- 866-845-TIPS

    

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