A Staten Island pediatrician has been charged with fleeing the scene after mowing down a dad and his six-year-old daughter.
Dr Sam Leuzzi is accused of slamming his GMC truck into Guy Seth, 51, and his daughter, Zoey, whilst she was sat on her dad’s shoulder on January 9.
The little girl was rushed to the Children’s Medical Center in Long Island for surgery after suffering a fractured skull while her dad was knocked unconscious.
Leuzzi was arrested the next day and charged with leaving the scene of an accident without reporting it, a misdemeanor, violating right-of-way and failure to use due care laws, according to the criminal complaint obtained by the New York Post.
‘I just could not believe he would just leave the scene,’ said Zoey’s mom, Gosia Seth, told the outlet.
Dr Sam Leuzzi has been charged with fleeing the scene of a crash in Staten Island in which he hit a dad and his six-year-old daughter
Guy Seth and his daughter Zoey were hit by the doctor’s GMC truck on January 9
‘When you think of a pediatrician you think “trust.'” Accidents can happen. But you don’t stay and help if you have that medical knowledge? I still can’t process this. I can’t believe this. My daughter thought her daddy was dead. ‘
Ravi Batra, an attorney for the Seths, said his client was holding his daughter even after the impact which meant he ‘probably saved her life’.
He revealed that he has heard conflicting accounts about where
But of Leuzzi, he said: ‘The calculating evil in him took over in a Jekyll and Hyde way, and then he walked away without telling the police he’s the guy who did it. He put their lives at risk.’
Batra claims he has heard contraditcting accounts about Leuzzi’s conduct after the collision.
The pediatrician has been practicing medicine for 38 years. He received his degree from Sapienza University of Rome.
His lawyers claim he did stop to help the family.
‘I was driving. I was turning left and I struck a pedestrian, an adult, and child,’ Leuzzi later investigators, according to the complaint.
Zoey was rushed to hospital with a bleed on the brain and a fractured skull which required surgery
The collision took place at this crosswalk in Staten Island while Zoey was sat on her dad’s shoulders
A GoFundMe was set up to help cover the family’s rising medical expenses after Guy was also left needing hospital treatment
‘I did not tell anyone I was the driver, I did not give my information because nobody asked me. I left. I felt terrible what had happened and I was going to go to the police precinct in the morning.’
A GoFundMe has since been established to help the family cover their mounting healthcare bills.
Guy, an NYPD maintenance man, has been left with double vision and recently had to return to hospital according to the page.