DETROIT, Mich. (WXYZ) — After he was run over by a DDOT bus, a 21-year-old victim is still hospitalized with critical injuries. His family is still in disbelief over what happened.
Watch Simon's exclusive report in the video player below
“I got the call my son has been hit. Just got hit by the city bus," Shakira Cooper told me.
It was a gut-wrenching phone call that the mother could not believe.
Video footage shared with us by a business owner shows the seconds before a DDOT bus driver struck her son, 21-year-old Tjuane Smith, on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
The bus driver was traveling eastbound on Warren near Junction, and Cooper says she never hit the brakes, nor got out to try and check on her son.
“Hurt. Really hurt. My baby. My old son. Why?” Shakira pleaded.
The city tells us the driver is no longer working, pending the outcome of an investigation and screening for drugs and alcohol.
Family attorney Arnold Reed told me doctors were forced to remove Tjuane's spleen, along with other treatment.
“I saw a kid laying there that was fighting. A kid who had an abundance of strength. Surviving off the love of his mother," Arnold said.
Tjuane remains in critical condition, as Detroit Police are also conducting a separate investigation.
Among what's been most painful, Reed says the city has been silent toward the family, as they've awaited answers.
“No one has reached out. Nobody in leadership. Administration. No one. No one," Arnold said.
“When I seen the video, it made me upset. You can tell the driver was not paying attention," Cooper said.
Cooper says her son has been pursuing a career in pharmacy and is always looking to help others. She's now holding onto her faith, praying he'll fully recover.
Web Extra: Watch our full interview with Cooper and Arnold
