NORFOLK, Va. — Six months ago, John Mallard-Crenshaw's life changed forever. As he walked along a Norfolk street, someone driving a car hit him and then drove away. They just left him there. Now, I'm following through with how John's recovery is going and an update on the search for whoever almost killed him.
"The past few months has been hard," John told me from the hospital bed set up in his parents' home. "I hardly do anything. Everything hurts," he said.
Mallard-Crenshaw spent several days in a hospital, then weeks in a Richmond rehabilitation facility. He doesn't remember much from that night, but his mother does.
"It's the type of feeling that no mother, no parent wants to hear," says Cheryl Mallard-Hodges, of when she got word of the crash.
It was December 23, 2023 -- around 7:30 p.m. A driver slammed into Mallard-Crenshaw as he walked home from the Royal Farms on Virginia Beach Boulevard in Norfolk. He was left bleeding on Pecan Point Road until someone found him and called for help. Mallard-Crenshaw is grateful for that person and so many others.
"My girlfriend coming over every weekend, that really means a lot," he said. "My mom and dad taking care of me means a lot."
"We were just so happy to have him home, just so we can put our hands on him when we wanted to, you know, and just to give him all the encouragement he needed to help his recovery," Mallard-Hodges added.
More from Norfolk :Students assaulted, shot fired during armed burglary: ODU Police
Right now, her son has trouble getting out of bed on his own. Mallard-Hodges hopes he'll walk by Christmas.
"You never know how things are going to turn out, but you know, we believe that God knows the best way for us," she said.
The family is leaning heavily on their faith.
"It's not what you hear, is what you do with what you hear," explained Ronald Crenshaw, Sr.
As his son gets better, regaining strength and his ability to speak, I asked his father about the driver who put his son in the hospital. What would be said to them?
"If you have a conscience of any kind, come forward and let us know," Crenshaw, Sr. said.
I've been in touch with Norfolk Police on the search for whoever was in the car that hit Mallard-Crenshaw. They tell me in addition to the normal reward from the Hampton Roads Crime Line, Cheryl Mallard-Hodges' boss donated $1,000 to bring the possible reward for information to $2,500. Call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP if you know anything.
