HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – The driver of the vehicle that struck London Banks last week, landing the 13-year-old girl in the hospital, has not been caught.
London lost mobility when she was struck last Wednesday, but she continues to fight.
What happened
London was walking with her brother, who was riding a bike, when she was struck in the 15000 block of Ella Boulevard.
Authorities said they were walking home after going to a nearby convenience store.
The driver left the scene. Authorities said the vehicle was a black convertible with tinted windows.
London's fight
Instead of wearing an Astros jersey and cheering on her favorite team, London is lying in a hospital bed with a neck brace, surrounded by teddy bears.
It's the new normal for the teen.
"It has been quite overwhelming to know that this person is still driving the streets of a Houston with liberties and freedoms that my daughter lost on the day that they decided to hit her and proceed like she was less than a piece of trash," London's mother, Shandr'a Mosley-Banks, said.
London has severe brain and spinal damage. Her mother says she lost most of her mobility and will need rehab.
"She can squeeze my hand and respond to me," Mosley-Banks said.
But the teen is unable to speak.
"We hear, like, these wailing cries and moans from her, tears streaming down her eyes constantly, and it's really, really hard as a mother to watch it because you want to, like, protect your children from any pain," Mosley-Banks said.
Click here to donate to London's GoFundMe account
How she's so strong
Mosley-Banks said London watched her receive treatment for cancer multiple times and knows how to respond.
"In her fighting, I know she's going to do the same thing because she's seen me go through different levels of fighting this disease and staying ahead of it," Mosley-Banks said.
Recovery
Mosley-Banks said London has a long road to recovery.
She's asking the driver to come forward. Anyone who knows anything about the incident can help alleviate some of the family's pain.
"I can assure you that Houston does not sleep and the detectives will find you. We will find you, and you will pay for this injustice that you've done. I'm very confident of it," Mosley-Banks said.