A mother witnessed the horrifying moment when a car struck her 17-year-old daughter after she had disembarked from the METRO bus. Now, she is desperately seeking the hit-and-run driver, fearing that the driver’s actions could result in harm to someone else.
Natasha Kooken, 17, is currently hospitalized, recovering from her injuries. Her family revealed that she has sustained four fractures in the pelvic area, among other injuries.
“Her femur is also fractured, to the point where she has a titanium screw,” shared Anna Hines, a family member.
Natasha attends Westbury High School and relies on METRO transit for her commute home. Her mother, Ashley Thomas, routinely waits to pick her up at her drop-off point.
On Monday, around 2 p.m., Kooken was crossing the street near Hillcroft and Queenslock in the Meyerland area when a car collided with her.
“I watched it happen, and it keeps replaying in my head,” Thomas recounted. “She has a twin brother, and so I bring him, and I have to drive past that spot every single day.”
According to the Houston Police Department, Kooken was not using a crosswalk, although ABC13 observed a pedestrian crossing sign near the bus stop, warning drivers.
“If it was a complete accident, they should have stopped,” Thomas expressed. “But they pulled away, and they drove off, just sped off. Another witness said they saw when they hit her, it had cracked the windshield from the passenger to the driver’s side.”
Thomas noted that there was a broken piece of a car on the ground, which she believed could be evidence from the suspect’s vehicle.
“I said, ‘Don’t y’all need this?'” Thomas recalled. “‘Isn’t this the evidence?’ They said, ‘Just leave it.'”
Eyewitness News queried HPD about this, and they stated that it’s under investigation.
Thomas considers herself fortunate that her daughter survived, given the number of hit-and-run incidents reported weekly.
Just a day later, on Tuesday, a 38-year-old man was fatally struck by a driver who failed to stop and render aid while crossing Parker Road near Bauman Road.
Last year, according to the City of Houston, crashes claimed the lives of 90 pedestrians and seriously injured over 200 others across the city.
“I thought I was running over to my daughter paralyzed or dead,” Thomas shared. “I am grateful every day I still have her because it could be worse.”
Police urge anyone with information to contact HPD at 713-247-4072 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 713-521-4600.
Although police stated that the car’s description is unknown, Thomas reported seeing a four-door sedan with dark window tint.
Thomas expressed gratitude to witnesses, the community, and nearby business owners for their assistance in speaking out and sharing her daughter’s story to raise awareness and locate the responsible driver.
The family has set up a GoFundMe page to assist with expenses.
