'He deserves better than this:' Family upset after young father was left for dead by suspected drunk driver
SEATTLE - A man is in the hospital with serious injuries after being struck in a hit-and-run crash in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood. That victim has been identified by friends and family as 22-year-old Jayvon James.
Officers were called to Mercer St and Queen Anne Ave N around 2 a.m., where James had been struck by a car while riding his scooter.
Police say James had just wrapped up his gig working security at Ozzie’s diner and was on the way home when it happened.
Co-worker Tyler Pratt told FOX 13 they got a call saying someone who looked like James had been involved in an accident.
"We immediately started running," Pratt said. "We were looking for him."
They said they found him on the sidewalk before first responders arrived.
"He was in and out at that point," said Pratt. "We came up and he was just screaming in pain. We didn’t know if he was going to make it. It was bad."
Fire Department personnel arrived and treated him. Authorities confirmed he suffered serious injuries and had to be taken to Harborview Medical Center for further care.
"I thought he could be dead, paralyzed, anything," said James’s fiancee, Jamira Lewis.
Lewis told FOX 13 it’s been hard to leave his bedside in the hospital.
"He’s injured really bad," she said. "Both of his legs are broken. He’s had to have multiple surgeries already. He can’t even hold his own daughter. It breaks my heart. He deserves better than this."
Ozzie's holds fundraising event for employee recovering from hit-and-run
A fundraiser at Ozzie's in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood focused on raising money for Jayvon James. He is still recovering after he was hit while riding a scooter back from work. FOX 13 Photojournalist Adam Sotelo has the story.
Seattle Police say the 26-year-old suspect accused of hitting James was driving east on Mercer and struck James while changing lanes. He kept driving until police stopped him near Third Ave N. and Mercer Street.
According to police, the man appeared to be under the influence and was arrested for hit-and-run and vehicular assault.
"I’m very upset at the person who did this," said Lewis. "They made the choice to get behind the wheel to drive that day and you almost took the life of my child’s father and the only man I’ve ever loved. He’s my everything and he treated him like trash and just left him there."
In addition to working as a security guard at Ozzie’s, he also worked security for city transit, escorting people on and off buses. In light of the recent accident, friends and family have set up a GoFundMe to help pay for James's medical expenses and procedures.