NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- A 6-year-old boy was fighting for his life Monday after he was struck and critically injured at an East Harlem park Sunday by a scooter rider who fled the scene, police said.
The NYPD released surveillance images Monday of the suspect in the hit-and-run at Thomas Jefferson Park.
Police responded around 6:30 p.m. to calls about a child struck by a vehicle inside the park, near E. 111th Street and First Avenue.
Investigators believe a male was riding a motorized scooter on a pedestrian walkway in the park when he struck the 6-year-old.
The boy was thrown to the ground and suffered severe head trauma, according to police.
Witnesses described a frantic scene inside the park after the child was hit, with the parents "going crazy," according to one woman.
"It was very chaotic," a man said. "A lot of people were around. A lot of people were in distress." He said scooter riders often ride through the park "without a care."
EMS rushed the boy in critical condition to NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, where he was diagnosed with a brain bleed and multiple skull fractures.
His injuries were so severe that he had to be transferred to New York-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center, where he remained in critical condition on Monday.
The scooter rider initially remained at the scene, but he fled without identifying himself before officers arrived, police said.
The suspect was last seen fleeing northbound in the park towards E. 114th Street and Pleasant Avenue, according to police.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
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