2-year-old hit by car; driver flees

The driver of a pickup backed out of a parking space this afternoon, ran over a 2-year-old who was riding a tricycle and then attempted to flee the scene, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said.

Jay-quan Shorter was riding his tricycle in a residential parking area at 12908 N 15th St. when the pickup's right rear tire struck him. According to witnesses, driver William T. Henderson got out of his truck, looked at Jay-quan, hopped back into the truck and fled north on 15th Street.

Witnesses gave authorities a description and tag number of the truck, and a deputy stopped Henderson not far from 15th Street. Henderson, 33, of Masaryktown, admitted to running the child over, Sheriff's officials said. He was charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury.

Jay-quan was taken to Tampa General Hospital, where he was treated for broken bones. His injuries were not life threatening, the Sheriff's Office said. His mother was in the parking lot watching him when he was run over, authorities said.

-- Justin George, Times staff writer