Family of teen hit by driver shares message: Slow down, pay attention

A Pinal County teen is in the hospital fighting for his life after getting hit by a truck while crossing the road to his bus stop.

The teen’s family is pleading for drivers to realize their decisions behind the wheel can have permanent consequences.

The backstory:

Jeriah Smith’s family says he was simply going through his morning routine on Wednesday, Jan. 22, walking the short distance from their home across the street to his bus stop, but he didn’t make it across the crosswalk near Johnson Ranch Boulevard and Saddle Way.

What they're saying:

"He just means so much to all of us, and it’s a very sad thing to see this happen to him because he does not deserve it," said his sister, Jaiden Smith.

Sixteen-year-old Jeriah's sisters say he may be shy, but he’s such a light in their lives.

He has been learning guitar, but now it’s unclear when he’ll play again after getting hit by a car at an intersection near his San Tan Valley home.

"I was actually driving to work and drove past him minutes after it happened, and we saw him lying over there in the street," Jaiden said. "We were talking about when it happened. He was in his Green Day hoodie, and he had to have that cut off of him, and he had just gotten it for Christmas."

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Jeriah Smith

Jeriah was flown to a nearby hospital with a number of serious injuries.

"His major things are the brain bleeds that he endured. He’s got a shattered pelvis. They did end up doing some surgery, and they found that his right leg is also completely shattered. He’s recently started seizing," Danika Smith, his sister, said.

The family’s main focus is on getting Jeriah home, but they also shared a message with drivers. Slow down and pay attention.

"This could’ve been anybody’s kid. Our sister was feet behind him. This could’ve been both of our siblings. We could’ve lost both of our siblings because somebody wanted to not pay attention in a school zone, in a crosswalk where kids walk every single day at the same exact time," Jaiden said.

Big picture view:

"He’s lying in bed fighting for his life because somebody wasn’t paying attention or couldn’t take a couple of seconds to slow down and not be in such a rush to wherever he may have been going," Danika said.

The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office says the teen driver did stay on scene and report the incident, but it is still under investigation.

"No signs of impairment were identified, but the investigation is still ongoing," the sheriff's office added.

What you can do:

Click here if you'd like to donate to the family's GoFundMe.

Map of the area where the incident happened:

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