A mother and son who were struck by a car during an incident that a Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue helicopter was responding to when it crashed are still recovering, the boy's father said.
Jose Perez told NBC6 Thursday that his 4-year-old son Jose Eduardo is home recovering and doing better, but the boy's mother remains intubated at Broward Health Medical Center.
BSO HELICOPTER CRASH
Jose Eduardo and his mother, Elisabet, were on the way to his preschool in North Lauderdale Monday morning when they were struck by a car.
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Security camera video showed the car slamming into the boy before it rolled to a stop over him at a bus stop. People rushed from nearby businesses to help, and one man pulled the boy out from under the car.
Perez told NBC6 in Spanish Thursday that Elisabet suffered broken bones in her legs and other injuries that have required multiple surgeries.
Jose Eduardo is home now but still has cuts on his face and bruising and swelling on his body, the father said. He hasn't returned to his preschool.
The boy asks for his mother frequently, but Perez said he can't bear to tell him where she is, telling him they'll be together again soon.
The incident was made even more tragic when a BSO helicopter that was responding to the crash dropped out of the sky and slammed into an apartment building in Pompano Beach, killing a crewmember and a woman in her home.
"I couldn't believe it," Perez said about learning of the helicopter crash.
Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony said the helicopter crew experienced a mechanical issue and put out a distress signal as a fire broke out on board shortly after it was in the air. They were also able to radio that they wouldn't make it to the car crash scene.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the helicopter crash.
The driver in the North Lauderdale crash, later identified as 20-year-old Josue Efrain Cardoza Murcia, was charged with driving without a license, officials said.
