A 10-year-old boy who was hospitalized after being hit by a car in Logan Heights was riding a friend's bike with broken brakes, according to the friend.
“I hope he’s OK and stays healthy and recovers, and will still be my best friend," Angel Velasco said about his buddy Je'mari Edwards.
Edwards was riding Velasco's bike near the intersection of Ocean View Boulevard and 29th Street at around 2 p.m. when he was hit. The driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators, according to the San Diego Police Department.
Velasco said he told Edwards to ride carefully because the brakes weren't working. Edwards was riding the bike eastbound through an alley and as he exited onto the street he crashed into the side of a southbound car. At this point, it's unclear if Edwards' inability to stop the bike was the reason he was hit.
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Edwards' grandma Bertha Richmond said Edwards was recovering at Rady Children's Hospital as of late Wednesday afternoon. Doctors told Edwards' parents he didn't have any broken bones or internal bleeding, Richmond said.
A witness said the boy had cuts and scrapes all over his body and was bleeding badly.
“He was in shock, so you couldn’t really hold him or reason with him, so I think we were all just trying to make sure we could keep him safe and in one place until the paramedics could get there," neighbor Shantelle Johnson said.
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Richmond said her grandson had his 10th birthday on Tuesday. Wednesday afternoon, she was on her way home and saw police tape in the area of the crash. Her first thought was to call her grandson because she knew he was playing with friends in the area, but Edwards didn't answer.
When she arrived at home, she learned from family members what had happened. She said she feels better knowing he doesn't have any major injuries, and said his parents are with him in the hospital until he's released. Police say Edwards was not wearing a helmet.
