Connecticut teen fighting for his life after being struck by driver then dragged on the roof for four miles

A Connecticut man has been arrested after allegedly hitting a teenage cyclist and fleeing the scene while the victim remained on the roof of his car, police said.

Authorities said the driver, identified as 29-year-old Alex Joel Rivera, was aware he had hit the bicyclist but fled because he feared being arrested and losing custody of his daughter.

Rivera had three passengers in the vehicle at the time, including the car’s owner and two children, according to his arrest warrant.

On Friday evening, Avon Police responded to reports of debris on the road near Arch Road and Security Drive around 9:15 p.m. At the scene, officers found a damaged bicycle, scattered candy and a cell phone, leading them to believe a cyclist had been hit.

Neither the driver nor the victim were at the scene, prompting police to close the road for further investigation. Shortly thereafter, authorities received a report of an injured child found near 73 Harris Road.

The victim has been identified as 16-year-old Liam Shields, a sophomore at Avon High School, who is in critical condition and has been placed in a medically induced coma.

The victim has been identified as 16-year-old Liam Shields, a sophomore at Avon High School. He is reportedly in critical condition.

Two witnesses, who had previously seen a Subaru driving erratically, returned to the scene out of concern.

They found an injured cyclist and immediately called the emergency services. Police later determined that the cyclist, Shields, had been hit by the car and carried on its roof for several miles before being thrown off.

“The boy was trapped on the roof and was carried over four miles on local roads to the area of ​​Harris Road 73,” police said. ‘The driver then stopped, pushed the boy off the roof and drove away.’

Rivera claimed the bicyclist “came out of nowhere” and thought he had “rolled off the car,” according to the arrest warrant.

The car’s owner told police she saw a foot hanging near Rivera’s window and urged him to stop. She said Rivera pushed the boy off the roof and drove away.

Authorities said Rivera admitted to panicking when he realized the boy was on the roof.

However, the car’s owner said he first called his daughter’s mother and his parents before contacting police.

The car was identified and located, leading to Rivera’s arrest. He is charged with reckless endangerment, leaving the scene of an accident causing serious injury, driving without a license and two counts of child endangerment.

Rivera is currently being held on a $100,000 bond.

Close family friend Jenny Eldridge, whose son plays basketball with Liam, recalled the heartbreaking news she received Friday evening. “It’s tragic and sad,” she said, noting how close her children are to Liam and his twin brother.

Pictured: Shields with his mother Andrea, who revealed her son was being treated for brain swelling and tissue damage

In response, the community has rallied around the Shields family. Eldridge launched one GoFundMewhich has raised more than $60,700, and local restaurants are hosting fundraisers to support the family.

State Senator Lisa Seminara expressed the community’s outrage: “This blatant disregard for human life has horrified us all. This young man was hit and carried for over four miles before being left on the side of the road.”

After the accident, Shields’ mother Andrea shared several updates on her son’s condition her Facebookwhich revealed the teen was being treated for brain swelling and tissue damage at a local hospital.

In her last note, Andrea wrote: ‘After a few spikes in his cerebral pressure overnight and this morning, Liam had a repeat brain exam today, which looked stable from hospital admission.’

‘That’s why his ICU doctor and neurosurgeon decided to bring him out of his medically induced coma.

“They told us this could take hours to days, so we will wait patiently at his bedside for him to wake up.”