HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Nahriya, the victim of a recent hit-and-run in Hallandale Beach, spoke to Local 10 News from her home Tuesday with her arm still in a sling, hand swollen and knee bandaged.
Despite her injuries, she expressed, “I’m good.”
Her mother, who asked to remain unidentified, said she is still shaken up following the incident.
“No mother, no parent wants to be put in that predicament,” she said. “Seeing your child like that...it’s just overwhelming.”
Nahriya recounted how another mother rushed to inform her mom of the incident on Monday morning.
She recalled walking to school and attempting to cross the street to dispose of some trash.
“I was close to the trash can, and then the car came and hit me in the leg, and just went flying, and hit this arm,” she said. “They were telling me to keep calm and one girl was holding my head.”
The driver who struck her got out, picked her up, and inquired about her well-being before driving off with a witness’s cellphone.
“Did he say anything to you when he picked you up?” asked Local 10 News reporter Layron Livingston.
“He said, ‘Are you OK?’ and I’m yelling for my mom,”' said Nahria.
Hallandale Beach police announced the arrest of a 37-year-old man who they described as a “habitual traffic offender” following the incident.
Berdry Lubin is facing a charge of leaving the scene of an accident with injuries, driving with a suspended license and petit theft following the 7:30 a.m. crash along Southwest Third Street.
Prosecutors revealed that Lubin was dropping a child off at school when he struck Nahriya and fled the scene.
A neighbor’s security camera captured the crash.
Police said Lubin, driving a black Mercedes-Benz, sped into view, headed from the opposite direction and hit the little girl as she ran into the street.
Lubin stopped and got out; the video showed him carrying the injured child at one point, police said, but when other witnesses stopped to help, Lubin is accused of leaving.
According to police, Lubin had no insurance and his car wasn’t registered.
They used a description of him and his vehicle to track him down and take him into custody.
In the meantime, the girl was taken to an area hospital with serious injuries.
Nahriya’s mother mentioned they are awaiting news on whether her arm will require surgery but expressed relief that she was discharged from the hospital the previous night.
Lubin was being held in the Broward Main Jail as of Tuesday afternoon, where his bond was set at $30,000.