Milwaukee, WI
Mother of Riverwest hit-and-run victim looking for accountability
MILWAUKEE — Monday night was terrifying for Ashley Kirkwood. She received a call from her daughter that no parent ever wants to hear.
Kennedy Kirkwood, 16, was crossing Locust on Holton in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood when she was hit by a black SUV turning onto Locust.
The car slowed down but then drove off without checking on Kennedy. The teenager was left alone, injured, and in the rain.
“It’s just heartbreaking that we’ve become a culture of, ‘Okay, we’re just going to leave a person like that,’” Kirkwood said.
Brendyn Jones/TMJ4
Ashley spoke with TMJ4 about the incident, saying watching the video was difficult for her.
“As parents, that’s something you always worry about,” Kirkwood told TMJ4.
Watch: Mother of Riverwest hit-and-run victim looking for accountability
Family speaks out after 16-year-old injured in hit-and-run near Holton and Locust
She works on the other side of the city and couldn’t be there immediately, so she turned to social media.
Kirkwood posted about the incident on the Riverwest Facebook page.
“Thankfully, within minutes, Riverwest responded,” Kirkwood said. “Over 100 comments, and they were right out here.”
Helpful neighbors stayed with Kennedy until authorities arrived to take her to Children’s Hospital. Kirkwood said she’s grateful to the Riverwest community for their support.
Ashley Kirkwood
Kennedy is safe at home, but now Kirkwood is looking for answers.
She told TMJ4 she spoke to authorities the night of the incident and called them back after obtaining video of the accident. As of Wednesday afternoon, she had not heard back from police about any updates on the incident.
“I understand that she wasn’t injured to the point where it’s something we’re seeing every day, but we need to take this seriously, and people need to be held accountable,” Kirkwood said.
Kirkwood plans to reach out to Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs and Mayor Cavalier Johnson about the situation.
Milwaukee police say they are looking for the driver of a black SUV. Anyone with information is urged to call authorities at (414) 935-7252.
Kirkwood told TMJ4 she understands things happen, but choosing to leave the scene is unacceptable.
“This was a human being, and we left her out in the rain after running her over,” Kirkwood said.
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