The mother of an East Side boy critically injured by an ambulette operated by an allegedly intoxicated driver said last night she’s thankful that doctors expect her son to pull through.
“It’s terrible this happened just two days before Thanksgiving,” said Tracey Thompson, whose 12-year-old son, Kyle, was struck at 3 p.m. Tuesday on East 20th Street.
But, she added, “I’m very optimistic. Ky is going to be good. His injuries could have been much worse.
“We’re thankful.”
Thompson said doctors have told her that her son will recover, but he’s not out of the woods.
He remains in critical condition at Bellevue Hospital with several broken bones and has yet to speak or open his eyes, she said.
Meanwhile the driver, Juan Ortiz, 57, of the Bronx, told cops he’d been drinking, and he had a blood-alcohol content of .056 percent, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said.
That’s below the usual .08 percent DUI standard – but judges can consider other evidence of intoxication.
Bail was set at $2,500 at his arraignment.
Additional reporting by Jennifer Fermino