JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A memorial on Jacksonville's Northside honors Shannon Johnson's 27 year-old son Shane Reed. He was hit and killed while riding his bike near Cole and Spaulding Roads.
"I sure will not ever give up on my baby," she said through tears.
Johnson still grieves the loss of her son and the many others who have been killed or injured in hit and runs this year.
Richard Humphries, killed in Clay County while also riding his bike, was remembered as someone who loved people.
A hit-and-run on Town Center Parkway sent Ray Humphrey to the hospital. His family says he has fractured spine.
Vito Johnson, 11, is showing progress after he was severely injured when a driver hit him near his Eastside home.
"Until you are in this scenario, you really don't pay attention to how bad it is, but it's bad. It's bad," Shannon Johnson said.
First Coast News Crime and Safety Analyst Mark Baughman says Jacksonville's growing population is a contributing factor to these crashes, along with the ongoing expansion of our roads.
He says there are also a number of reasons why people may not stop.
"Alcohol could be involved. They may not have a driver's license. There is even some question on whether or not they are legally in this country," Baughman said.
Depending on the severity of injuries, vehicular homicide in Florida is punishable up to 15 to 30 years in prison. Shannon Johnson says that isn't enough for what she describes as preventable tragedies.
February is Hit-and-Run Awareness Month in the state, and she wants drivers to be more self-aware so no one else is taken from their families.
"It's heart wrenching. It's hard to relive it everyday," Johnson said.