Mom says she found out her son had been hit by MARTA bus when police called from his phone

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A young teenage boy is recovering from surgery after he was hit by a MARTA bus on Wednesday.

Channel 2′s Tyisha Fernandes spoke with the boy’s mother who says she found out her son had been hit when a police officer called her from his phone.

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The boy, whose identity has not been released, was crossing Covington Highway in a crosswalk just before 9 a.m.

He broke his leg in several places and underwent emergency surgery at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta just a few hours after the accident.

“I was shocked. I’m still shocked, but I’m also blessed at the same time,” the mom, who does not want to be named, said.

She said when she saw her son’s phone number, she assumed he was calling to say he made it to school since he missed the bus earlier that morning. Instead, it was a DeKalb County police officer calling her.

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“He waited on the crosswalk. He had the right of way to walk across. The MARTA bus driver ran the red light. I’m guessing she was trying to make the light and she ended up hitting him,” the mom said.

Police have not confirmed if the driver ran the red light.

Channel 2 Action News requested the report and video from the bus from MARTA, but they said DeKalb police would have to share it. They have not yet released them.

The boy’s mother wants to remind everyone that this could have been their child and has a message for everyone on the road.

“To drivers, to MARTA, to anybody driving, just pay attention, you know? Always look in front of you, always pay attention, always be aware of your surroundings,” she said.

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