Howard County Police are searching for a man whom they believe seriously injured a 4-year-old girl after he collided with her on his bike.
It happened Monday afternoon around 2 p.m. on a path near Lake Elkhorn.
RELATED: Police: 4-year-old in body cast after being hit by cyclist
Amy Davidson and her two kids, Kayleigh and Casey, were walking along the path by the lake and were on their way back to the car when the accident happened.
“I was walking, Kayleigh was next to me, Casey was ahead and we hear the bell of the bike and I look back and it's flying and I was like Kayleigh! Casey also screamed her name,” Davidson said.
Four-year-old Kayleigh tried to get out of the path, but she wasn't able to avoid the collision.
“A bike ran into me, a mean red bike,” said Kayleigh.
She was supposed to be celebrating her upcoming fifth birthday at the beach with family, but instead she’s at home in a half body cast after suffering a broken femur. Her mom said recovery is expected to take around six weeks.
“He didn't say sorry or anything, he just stayed there looking at me and then he just steered away,” Kayleigh said.
It was her 7-year-old brother Casey’s quick thinking that helped Kayleigh’s mom get her the medical attention she needed faster.
“She just dropped her phone to get Kayleigh and then she needed her phone to call 911 and then I got it to her,” Casey Davidson said.
Frequent walkers said they've seen other bikers speed on the trail. They know there are certain protocols in place that enable everyone to share the path, but they’re also saddened that the person didn’t or wasn’t able to slow down before hitting the child.
“I think that's horrendous who does that who's going to hurt a little girl then drive away?,” said Alicia Barksdale, a frequent lake visitor.
Howard County Police are unsure if the man was white or Hispanic, but said he was wearing all red and possibly riding a red road bike. Police would like to speak with him as part of the ongoing investigation.
Police also want to make clear that the cyclist did stop to make sure the child was okay, but Kayleigh’s mom said he didn't wait around.
“The spokes and the rims of the tires were red that I’m sure of, every time I close my eyes I see it," said Amy Davidson.
She said her daughter sees it as well. Since the accident, Kayleigh has been having night terrors.
“I just hear her screaming, ‘stop, don't hurt me, don't hurt me,’” Davidson said.
It's unclear if the man will face any criminal charges.
At this time, Davidson said she's more concerned with her daughter's healing, and at the very least, she'll accept an apology
"Yes, absolutely, just to restore my faith in humanity," Davidson said.
There's a $1,000 reward for information that confirms the rider's identity.
Davidson would also like see new measures implemented to better prevent accidents like this one from happening to anyone else.
“I also just want a message out to be careful and not fly around parks. If you're going to drive that fast go on the street, go on the road, and I really think there should be more enforcement of speeding in the parks because there's kids all over. It could've happened to anybody and it could've been much worse, so I just hope something's done to prevent it from happening again,” she said.
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