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City Offers Reward in Hit-&-Run That Badly Injured Mom, Son

A $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a hit-and-run driver that critically injured a mother and her 2-year-old son in Kensington was offered by the Mayor's office Tuesday.

The reward was announced the morning after a 19-year-old woman carrying her two-year-old son in his carseat was struck while walking across the street to their home on the 2700 block of Mascher St. around 7:02 p.m. Just as they were steps away from their house, they were struck by a car described by witnesses as a 4-door white vehicle, possibly a newer model Nissan Maxima or Infinity.

The impact caused the woman to fall under a pickup truck that was parked on Mascher while her son landed on the sidewalk.

Witnesses told police the vehicle, which had two men inside, fled the scene on Lehigh Avenue.

A Good Samaritan rushed to the mother and son and drove them to Episcopal Hospital. The mother was then transferred to Temple University Hospital while her son was taken to St. Christopher's.

The mother suffered head trauma in the crash. She is in critical but stable condition and is expected to survive.

Her son suffered severe head trauma and a broken pelvis. He is currently in extremely critical condition.

Police say there were several cameras at the intersection of Lehigh and Mascher. A surveillance video also shows a white vehicle that may be the hit-and-run car driving away from the scene.

They're asking that anyone with information on the incident call Philadelphia Police.

Crystal Berberena, the cousin of the woman, has a message for the driver.

"I just want to say if you're out there and you know that you did this then you should step up," she said. "Because this is somebody's life." 

The hit-and-run occurred less than an hour after another hit-and-run in Philly claimed the life of a 4-year-old boy.

"This time of year we're going to have youngsters, young kids -- it's nice out, it's springtime -- they're going to be running in the street," said Philadelphia Police Capt. John Wilczynski. "But people have to be careful."

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