Girl, dad hospitalized after hit-and-run crash in Buckner

BUCKNER, Mo. — Police in Buckner, Missouri, say a driver has turned himself in after a hit-and-run that injured a little girl and her father on Monday night.

Both of those people are expected to survive. Police say the father has a bad back injury while the little girl – who they believe is 8 years old or possibly younger – has a headwound.

The crash happened along a short, quiet stretch of road: Washington Street approaching the stop sign at South Osage Street. The only evidence of the hit-and-run on Wednesday were white marks on the pavement, which neighbors say is from the little girl’s bike getting dragged around 10 p.m. Monday.

“I heard a crunching noise and some kids screaming, so I ran outside down past that light pole a little bit,” one neighbor named Matthew said. He did not want to share his last name.

“A little girl was laying there hurt. She had been ran over by a car – a truck. And then her father was a little bit farther down in the grass there,” he said.

“I’d be out of my mind, you know?” another neighbor, Jean Kiss, said. “I could see people but I could only see dark shadows because it was so dark.”

“The little girl’s sister and brother was like screaming so I called 911. Then I ran to my car – tried to chase the guy down,” Matthew said.

“The guy didn’t stay?” FOX4’s Jacob Kittilstad asked.

“No, the guy did not stay,” Matthew said.

That person – according to Buckner police – turned himself in just after midnight on Tuesday. His name and possible charges have not yet been released.

“It makes my heart sink. You know, it was late. It was dark. I heard they were on bicycles,” Kiss said.

“She was just laying there,” Matthew said. “The truck sped off. You know, it was sad seeing her like that. It’s something that will be in my mind forever I’m sure because it was the saddest thing.”

The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office hasn’t filed charges yet, but Bucker police investigators are working with them. Police anticipate at least a charge of “Leaving the scene of an accident” with more serious charges also in the conversation.

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