WICOMICO CO., MD - The Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a hit and run crash that left a skateboarder with serious injuries Thursday night.
Police say they were called to Walston Switch Road just before 8:30 p.m. on August 15th on reports of a crash. The ensuing investigation revealed a car struck a boy skateboarding along Walston Switch Road before fleeing the scene.
The victim was flown to a trauma center for life-threatening injuries.
On Friday, WBOC learned the victim is 15-year-old Austin Broadwater. WBOC spoke with Austin's father, Jason Broadwater, where he is sitting at Austin's bedside at shock trauma in Baltimore.
After speaking with Austin's father, Jason Broadwater, WBOC learned Austin is a student at Wicomico High School. He says Austin often rode his longboard to the nearby Royal Farms and says Austin was about a mile away from his home when he was struck by a vehicle.
"Around 8:00 p.m., after dinner, Austin said he wanted to go down to the store," Jason said. "I told him, 'Hey man, it will be dark soon. Got to watch out for that.'"
Jason and his wife went for a walk on Walston Switch road with their dog. But when they got home, they became concerned when they noticed Austin had not returned home.
"My older son came down the hallway and said, 'Austin's not back yet. I'm surprised.' So my wife called Austin's phone to see where he was. We thought, 'If you're down at the store, we'll come get you, or come on back now.' But the person who answered Austin's phone was a state trooper."
Austin was found to be a victim of a hit-and-run. According to Jason, He is currently suffering from a brain injury, a fractured pelvis and shoulder blade, a bruised kidney, and severe road rash. Though Austin has been able to open his eyes, Jason has a message for the driver responsible.
"This person left my son for dead in the road. I would urge this person to turn themselves in."
Jason explained more family members were on their way to be by Austin's bedside. He says, "I think what we're trying to do in this moment is keep the togetherness of our family."
The Wicomico County Sheriff's Office is actively investigating the incident but has not yet released any descriptions of the suspect vehicle. However, they report that they have received several leads.
"We're getting calls and social media posts," says Wicomico County Sheriff's office Lieutenant John Alessandrini. "People are calling, people are commenting, and we're following up with those right now."
The Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who witnessed the crash to contact them at 410-548-4892 ext. 269.
On Sunday, August 18th, Broadwater's family shared an update via Gofundme saying the teen no longer required a ventilator and was verbal.
