Mother of victim in hit-and-run demands justice for her son

INDIANAPOLIS — A mother is crying out for help after her 24-year-old son was struck by a van and left for dead near East 38th Street and Shadeland Avenue a week ago, changing his family’s life forever.

Cecelia Capers, the mother of Jordan Capers, said it was a cruel act and she wants justice for her son.  

“He’s going to have to relearn basically everything. Like how to speak, how to walk. He’s getting better, but the injuries are serious,” said Cecelia Capers.  “My son Jordan, he likes to draw and some of the pictures he liked were Disney characters. I tell him all the time, that Pixar and Disney are looking for him.”

On Feb. 28, Cecelia Capers’ world was rocked.  

“I was on my way home from work. I look down the street and I saw the police lights and ambulance,” said Cecelia Capers.

Immediately she started praying, not knowing yet that prayer was for her son.  

“I said, ‘Lord, I hope no one is seriously hurt.'”, she said. “Maybe 45 minutes after that, my daughter got a call. They found her on social media, and she brought me the phone and said, ‘Mom, somebody is on the phone saying that Jordan has been injured.'”

She rushed to the hospital, not knowing what to expect.  

“I found out that he had been hit by a car. The car did not stop, and he continued. I was devastated, I’m still devastated. How can you hit a human being and not stop? How could you hit a dog and not stop? I believe that was such a cruel act. Careless and uncaring,” said Cecelia Capers.  

Her son had been hit on 38th and Shadeland while on his way to work. He’s still in the ICU with a fractured hip, a fractured eye socket, significant brain damage, and is still unable to respond.  

“They are preparing me that he may not be the same when he comes out,” said Cecelia Capers.  

Police said witnesses were only able to give a vague description of a dark color van that hit Jordan. A week later, there are still no leads on a suspect.

“Spoken with our hit and run investigators. They are actively canvassing the area hoping that someone will come forth with information,” said IMPD Officer William Young.

Now, there are traffic cameras at this intersection where Jordan was hit on 38th and Shadeland, a resource that could have assisted in this case.

A detective told Cecelia Capers that, unfortunately, they were not working the night her son was hit. Cecelia Capers said that’s inexcusable.

“The eye-witnesses, they saw a black van they weren’t worried about the van. They were worried about my son. They were helping my child, but if that traffic cam had been working it could have possibly got a picture of the van and a picture of the license plate,” said Capers.  

Cecelia Capers’ frustrations with reckless driving is a tune that echoes throughout the state.  

“It was a hit and run and someone who does that you have to wonder about their state of mind. Was there alcohol involved? Or maybe they were driving with no license. It’s extremely disturbing,” said Young.  

Young said IMPD will be looking to see whether those traffic cameras belong to the city or the department. But in the meantime, they are hoping someone will come forward so they can hold that driver accountable.