AUSTIN, Texas — A Central Texas family claims that the Austin Police Department (APD) failed to do its job after their loved one was injured in a scooter crash over the weekend.
Yaneisy Lua ended up in the ICU at Dell Seton Medical Center with a damaged liver, internal bleeding and bruises all over her face and arms after a driver hit her scooter and took off, according to her sister, Mariana Lua.
"I remember when I got the call – it felt like I was in a nightmare," Mariana Lua said.
Yaneisy Lua had been crossing an alley near Seventh Street and the Interstate 35 Frontage Road between 2 and 2:30 a.m. when she called her sister. Yaneisy Lua told her sister that she had been hit by a car and couldn't breathe.
"When I called her back about five minutes later, some young gentleman, some some man answered the phone and was like, 'Your sister looks like she was hit by a car on a scooter. She needs help.' And I was like, 'Please call the ambulance. She needs someone needs to get there to help her.' And that was it," Mariana Lua said.
Mariana Lua said EMS and APD responded. However, she said the responding officer told her it looked as if Yaneisy Lua fell off of her scooter.
Mariana Lua explained that the officer didn't file a report, and when she and her mother called 311 and tried to file their own, they were told the responding officer needed to be the person to do so.
"As soon as I picked up that phone, that's the first thing she told me. 'I got hit by a car and I can't breathe.' That's what she told me. So I knew she wouldn't say that if that wasn't the case," Mariana Lua said.
PHOTOS: Yaneisy was in the ICU for four days with critical injuries after scooter crash
The family said they have gone as far as conducting their own investigation and even found the scooter Yaneisy Lua was on the night of the incident.
Mariana Lua noted that on Tuesday, a different officer from APD came by the hospital to look into the matter further. The officer stated that they would submit a report with all the information and photos submitted by the family.
PHOTOS: Yaneisy Lua's scooter following the crash
APD provided KVUE the following statement on Thursday:
"This incident was not initially investigated as a crash based on preliminary findings the Department obtained in the early stages of the investigation. As additional information and evidence were collected, analyzed, and reviewed, the Department’s understanding of the incident changed. The incident is being investigated as a failure to stop and render aid crash. Again, we want to stress we are actively working on this investigation."
Mariana Lua said the family's focus is getting her sister on the road to recovery and hopefully getting her home soon.
"My sister, she's a very, very strong woman. She's really hardworking, very caring and loving. Anyone that knows her loves her to death," Mariana Lua said.
Yaneisy Lua currently doesn't have insurance and needs help covering her medical expenses. The Lua family has set up a GoFundMe that community members can donate to.
Kelsey Sanchez on social media: Twitter