Struck by an SUV's mirror while walking home in Oak Creek, victim urges driver to come forward
OAK CREEK -- An Oak Creek man was struck by an SUV while walking home from work. The impact was so severe, he had to miss work for days. Now, he's pleading with the striking driver to do the right thing, and come forward.
Still recovering, Ruben Santiago said he is upset someone would knowingly hit a pedestrian and not stop to make sure he's OK.
It happened near Forest Hill and Verdev in Oak Creek.
Forest Hill and Verdev in Oak Creek
"It just all happened so fast," Santiago said.
Santiago said he was dropped off after work on Wednesday afternoon, March 15th by a friend, who offered to give him a ride. He lives about a block away. Santiago said something about the situation didn't feel right.
"Something say in my head, just move to the other side," Santiago said.
Ruben Santiago
The next thing he knew, a dark green SUV, possibly a Jeep Cherokee or Chevy Trailblazer zipped past him and hit him with the SUV's passenger side mirror.
"I didn't feel it right away. When I turned around, I thought 'oh man, I got hit.' When he hit me, the mirror bent and I see the glass fall from the mirror," Santiago said.
Ruben Santiago
His left arm was hit, but Santiago never fell to the ground. The SUV sped off, and Santiago called for an ambulance.
"They say I have a small fracture in my elbow," Santiago said.
Surgery was not required, but Santiago said after this incident, he can barely bend his arm -- his wrist and hand swollen. As a result, he said he'll likely miss five days of work, as there isn't much the forklift operator can do without his hands.
Santiago said he has no sympathy for the driver who hit him and sped away.
Ruben Santiago
"I'm a man of God. I don't tell anybody bad things. If you hit somebody, stop," Santiago said.
Santiago said he filed a police report after this incident. A sergeant at the Oak Creek Police Department was not able to immediately provide FOX6 News with any details on Sunday, March 19th.