Parents of Philadelphia hit-and-run victim calling for driver to come forward
"We try to concentrate on the task at hand, which is taking care of her. We've been here every day," her father said.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Mary Kate McGrath has been in the hospital since the night of Jan. 1.
She was the victim of a hit-and-run in West Philadelphia and the driver has still not been caught.
Mary Kate, 28, is an assistant special education teacher working toward her certification, her parents Jim and Lorraine McGrath told Action News.
Mary Kate works a part-time job on the weekends. Her parents believe she was coming home from that job when she was struck.
"One of the (hospital) staff, she said in all the years of being in trauma, she had never seen anyone injured as badly, and yet live," said Jim McGrath.
Jim and Lorraine come to the hospital each day, unsure of their daughter's future.
"We try to concentrate on the task at hand, which is taking care of her. We've been here every day," Jim explained.
Philadelphia police say Mary Kate McGrath was struck near North 40th Street and Lancaster Avenue, not far from her home, as the driver was turning.
Police say the striking vehicle was small and blue with an unknown license plate number.
Moments after, Jim received a call from his daughter's cell phone. A man's voice was on the other end of the line.
"A stranger got on and told us she had been run over by a car and was in really bad shape," Jim recalled.
"He himself seemed very shaken at the time," Jim said, adding how grateful he was to the stranger for calling.
Mary Kate was transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and has remained there ever since.
Her injuries are vast and severe including lacerations on multiple internal organs and a fractured pelvis.
Her father said every one of her ribs was broken at least once, and she sustained multiple breaks to her arm.
Jim said Mary Kate suffered two strokes due to her injuries.
"Both her shoulders, particularly her right shoulder, were ripped out of the sockets," Jim said.
Mary Kate survived. But just this week, the Philadelphia Police Crash Investigation Division said hit-and-run fatalities reached a record number last year.
This week, there have been multiple hit-and-run cases including two on Sunday when a 31-year-old bicyclist was fatally struck by a white cargo van, and a pedestrian was killed by a driver in South Philadelphia.
As for Mary Kate, her parents return to the hospital each day calling for the driver to come forward.
"Bring yourself into justice, otherwise hopefully it finds you," Jim said.
