A 56-year-old father of three who was riding a scooter with his 2-year-old son in his lap died after they were hit by a SUV in northwest Houston Wednesday.

Houston police said the incident happened on Ferguson Way near West Montgomery about 3:10 p.m.

There was water on the sidewalk and Cliff Johnson was riding in the street to avoid the water, witnesses said.

Family members said Johnson recently began riding the scooter after one of his legs was amputated.

"I'm gonna miss him," said Rowana Hubbard, Johnson's mother. 

She recalls the last conversation they had just a few hours before he was hit and killed.

"He told me he was going down on Diebolt and said he'd be right back," she said, "He told me he loved me and I said 'Be careful.'"

The boy was not seriously hurt. Detectives said the father likely saved his life by never letting go of him when they were thrown nearly 30 feet.

Johnson's family and friends are now demanding answers because of the water on the sidewalk. It's unclear where the water is coming from. 

"A man in a wheelchair?  He can't run in that water. Why the city ain't fixed it?" said Mike Carter, Johnson's best friend. "You mean to tell me, they got all this water in the street and can't fix it?"

State Rep. Sylvester Turner represents the Northwest Houston district and came out to the accident scene to take a look at the water several hours after it was cleared. Turner said he's familiar with the area and also familiar with the fact the water main has broken for a week -- maybe longer.

"I'm going to talk to some people tonight and I'll follow up tomorrow and see if we can get this fixed in the next 24-36 hours." Turner said.

The repair won't bring back Hubbard's son, but it brings her some comfort knowing no one else will be forced to walk or ride in the road. 

"I'm gonna miss him." she said.

The driver did not initially stop, police said. He did return to the scene a short time later, officials said.

Investigators said driver of the van was handcuffed and taken into custody. Police said a mandatory blood draw would be taken to determine if he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.