PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — A 12-year-old Port Charlotte girl is back home recovering after being hit by a van while riding her electric scooter in May.
Eden Moody was struck on Easy Street on the last day of school, May 29, sustaining a traumatic brain injury, a broken vertebra and other injuries.
Watch Fox 4's Alex Orenczuk report on Eden's recovery:
"It's one of the greatest feelings I could ever really think of," said Paul Moody, Eden's father, about having his daughter back home.
She spent about two weeks at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg before being transferred to Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital.
"It was like night and day. She was laughing more, smiling. It was crazy the change in it and just that short amount of time," Paul said.
Since the accident, Eden's family has placed signs around their neighborhood urging drivers to slow down, and Paul hopes to advocate for more permanent safety measures.
"I do want to figure out ways to try to lobby for speed bumps and stop signs and residential areas," Paul said.
Florida Highway Patrol reports that the driver of the van who hit Eden, Arlin Salazar, was arrested for driving without a license and is being held on a detainer for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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