LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A newly released video from Louisville Metro Police captured desperate screams from a grandmother whose baby was hit and left on the side of the road.
LaMiya Erve was five when the incident happened. She is now six and said, "they shouldn't have run over a five-year-old. They know better, and the police know better."
Since the crash in September 2021, LaMiya's grandmother LaTanya said LMPD is partially responsible for the incident. "Had they not been chasing these guys in the first place, they wouldn't have been down here flying," she said.
After the accident, LMPD told WHAS11 News, they couldn't locate a pursuit on the day of the collision. They added, "Had LMPD been involved in this incident, there would have been no need to call 911 as officers would have been right there on the scene."
However, the body camera recorded officers saying they were chasing the car, for an expired tag.
An office can be heard saying, "We went behind him and chased, like went behind him for two blocks. Tried to crawl up on him and he was gone."
We asked LMPD why they indicated they were not involved in the incident, with this new evidence.
The department is responding with the following statement.
"Please note that there is a clear distinction between attempting to effect a traffic stop vs. a pursuit. The officer was initially following a vehicle because of expired tags. The officer did not have his lights or sirens activated. The officer observed the vehicle turn down an alley but did not follow. That concluded the officer’s interaction with said vehicle. As we know, the driver of that vehicle went on to not only strike a young child but flee the scene after committing this horrific act. Our hearts go out to the young girl who was a victim of this hit and run but it is also imperative that we focus our attention on the actions of the vehicle driver. This individual not only attempted to elude police but went on to engage in criminal behavior that put the lives of innocent bystanders at risk. As you heard on the video, ‘anyone who would hit a little girl and run has no conscience.’ The LMPD works daily to protect our community from individuals such as this, and will continue to do so. "
We read that response to LaMiya's grandmother who said, "that is crazy."
Latanya Buggs Crowdus elaborated, the driver who hit LaMiya is clearly at fault, but so is LMPD. And, if LMPD was not initially involved, she says, her now six-year-old never would've been injured.
"It's just hard," LaMiya said. "I can't even jump on the trampoline."
As her legs heal, the family is working with an attorney and private investigator to get answers on their own without an arrest.
► Contact reporter Tom Lally at TLally@whas11.com or on Facebook or Twitter.
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