Teen Girl Hit by 3 Cars While Crossing Street, First Vehicle Flees

The 14-year-old was crossing Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown Thursday afternoon

A 14-year-old girl was struck by three cars as she crossed a Long Island thoroughfare, and the first vehicle fled the scene, police said.

The girl had multiple injuries to her legs and back after she was hit Thursday afternoon, but is expected to recover.

Police said the high school freshman was crossing the six-lane Hempstead Turnpike at the corner of Shelter Lane just before 4 p.m. when she was hit by a brown four-door car that did not stop.

The impact threw her into the air and she was then struck by two other cars that stayed at the scene.

The girl attended Division Avenue High School, where parents like Susan Stalzer, whose son is a friend of the victim, expressed anger that the first driver never stopped.

"How could you not know if you're hitting somebody? Don't you hear it, don't you feel it against the car? You've gotta stop, come on," she said. 

But police said the teen herself made a near-fatal mistake, crossing the busy turnpike against the traffic signal.

"People need to follow the rules of the road, even pedestrians," said Inspector Kenneth Lack of Nassau Police. 

Nearly two years ago, another student from the same school was killed crossing Hempstead Turnpike. 

Detectives are asking anyone with information about the hit-and-run to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS.

--Greg Cergol contributed to this story

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