'Who did this?': 9-year-old girl seriously hurt in hit-and-run crash on her way to school

CUDAHY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A young girl has serious injuries, and an elderly woman was arrested, after a hit-and-run crash Tuesday morning.

Cudahy police say the girl was hit while walking to J.E. Jones Elementary School.

Family tell CBS 58 9-year-old Lenci Lambert was walking under the guidance of a crossing guard when an 89-year-old woman blew a stop sign and hit her on her way to school.

"I was scared; I was upset. I was like, who did this? I was trying to hold back from crying because I knew that wouldn't help her," said Trinity Johnson, Lanci's cousin.

Trinity Johnson woke up to her mom screaming her cousin was hit by a car.

"I just kept praying in my head and just trying to stay positive, telling her it's gonna be okay," said Johnson.

Johnson recalled what Lenci said to her moments after she was hit.

"She just looked at me, and she was like, 'Trinity, is this a dream, like am I dreaming?" Johnson explained.

Cudahy police say after driving away, officers found the elderly woman and arrested her.

"I feel a little unsafe because of how fast people are going and just showing that they really don't care," said Johnson.

According to police, the woman is now in custody for a hit-and-run causing injury.

"I don't know how fast she was going, but clearly fast enough to blow the stop sign, hit my niece and keep going, and didn't even stop. I don't even think she realized that she hit her," said Jumoka Johnson, Lenci's uncle.

Johnson says this area gets really busy in the morning. He showed us a photo he took at 7 a.m. where the sun casts a shadow over the stop sign.

"The driver doesn't see the stop sign in the shadow, and the visibility is clearly obstructed by the sunshine," Johnson explained.

Cudahy Mayor Ken Jankowski tells CBS 58 speed was not a factor in the crash.

The mayor also said police haven't received any recent complaints about safety at the intersection, calling the crash an "unfortunate accident."

Lenci's family says they'd like to see some upgrades.

"They put some speed bumps there, to learn that there's a stop sign coming. To either illuminate the stop sign and put some lights on it and make it more visible or put a stoplight there," said Johnson.

The family tells CBS 58 Lenci has a mild concussion and lots of bruises and road rash.

They're hoping she will be discharged Tuesday and in better spirits for her 10th birthday, which is coming up in just under a week.