Hit-and-Run Seriously Hurt 7-Year-Old, Police Say

A 7-year-old boy suffered serious injuries when he was struck by a mini-van in South Bethlehem on Monday night and city police are seeking the public’s help in finding the hit-and-run driver.

The incident took place at about 8 p.m. Monday night at the corner of E. Eighth and Rapp streets.

The driver—a woman described as having dark hair with blonde highlights—reportedly stopped, told the boy he would be OK and then fled, according to the Bethlehem Police blog.

Police are looking for a maroon Nissan Quest or a similar looking vehicle. The mini-van may have had light-colored trim and the words “R.I.P. Joseph” written on the rear windshield.

If that message was inscribed on the vehicle, the offending driver may have been on her way to the candlelight vigil for Joseph Rodriguez, the 25-year-old who was shot to death in the Lynfield neighborhood early Sunday morning.
The vigil was at 8 p.m. and just blocks from the scene of the hit-and-run.

Anyone who believes they have information about the collision, the vehicle, its driver or its occupants, is asked to call the Bethlehem Police Department at 610-865-7187. Tips may also be called into Officer Benjamin Hackett, the department’s hit-and-run investigator, at 610-997-7641.

All callers may remain anonymous, police said.