JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The mother and father of a 27-year-old man who was hit by a car in Arlington hope police will soon make an arrest.
Deloris and Willie Palmer said their son, Willie Palmer III, is in a neck brace and has numerous broken bones and torn ligaments as a result of the hit-and-run, which happened May 14 near the Kings Inn on the Arlington Expressway.
“We just want to know what happened,” said Willie Palmer III's father, who shares the same first name.
The Jacksonville father's parents have been by his bed at Memorial Hospital since the night of the crash. They said their son has undergone emergency surgeries on his arm and leg and is suffering from a variety of injuries from the trauma.
According to his parents, the 27-year-old’s memory of that night is unclear.
“He couldn’t remember nothing. He doesn’t know anything,” Deloris Palmer said.
Palmer III has a very close relationship with his 6-year-old daughter. The young girl’s grandmother said it has been difficult keeping her away from her father as he slowly recovers.
“We don’t want her to see him like this," Deloris Palmer said. "I don’t think she will be able to take it because she is very close to her dad. She’s daddy’s little girl. She loves her dad and he loves her."
The family is asking whoever is responsible to do the right thing and speak to police.
“Whoever hit him, please please come forward. That’s my son. That’s my baby," Deloris Palmer said. "You could have killed him."
Anyone with information in regard to the hit-and-run can contact the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office at 904-630-0500 or email JSOCrimeTips@jaxsheriff.org. An anonymous tip can be made by calling Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS.