JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville family is looking for answers after a loved one was hit by a brown van Tuesday in Arlington and then left on the side of the road.
Jose Barquero, 49, nearly lost his life after being hit while riding his motorcycle on Arlington Expressway near Cesery Boulevard and Arlington Road. He is now recovering in the intensive care unit at UF Health.
Barquero's wife, Karen Barquero, said she saw all of the traffic backed up and decided to go a different route. She didn't find out it was an accident involving her husband until she got to work.
"I don't know how people can do that, just keep going and don't look back," Karen Barquero said. "It doesn't make sense to me."
Karen Barquero and her daughter, Amanda, were at UF Health all day Wednesday, waiting for updates on Jose Barquero's condition.
"He's in and out of sleep. He's beginning to realize what happened," Karen Barquero said. "Mostly because everyone is telling him what has happened, because at first he didn't even know he owned a motorcycle."
Jose Barquero ended up on the side of Arlington Expressway after a brown van hit him and took off.
"I was furious," Karen Barquero said. "I was thinking to myself, 'For crying out loud, I'm afraid to hit a squirrel who can't make up his mind what side of the street it wants to be on. And this lunatic can just hit somebody and drive up and leave him for dead on the side of the road.'"
Amanda Barquero wears a necklace every day that was a gift from her father years ago. But the necklace took on a much more significant meaning Tuesday. She said she and her mother hope whoever did this takes responsibility.
"Don't be such a coward," Karen Barquero said. "Turn yourself in. That's all. Turn yourself in. I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate it if somebody ran (over) their family member, husband, wife, child or anything, and then left them on the side of the road."
Anyone with information about the accident is asked to call the Florida Highway Patrol at 904-695-4000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845 TIPS. Crime Stoppers callers can remain anonymous.
Editor's Note: The family requested that we include a Spanish narrative of what happened and their plea for information in the case:
Ayer, 14 de abril alrededor de las 7:30 am, Jose Barquero, 49, sufrio un accidente mientras manejaba su moto hacia su trabajo. Estamos solicitando su ayuda para dar con el paradero del chofer de una camioneta tipo van, de color marron, quien se dio a la fuga. Agradecemos su cooperacion de todo corazon.