KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- An 18-month-old boy is trying to understand why he's in the hospital.

A car hit him while he was playing, and police say the woman driving, took off.

Wednesday, shortly after 5 o'clock, 18-month-old Major Dean was playing outside along Boyds Bridge Pike. The family says all too often, drivers speed through the neighborhood, but police say that wasn't even the worst offense, in this case.

Tinitha Dean took her son to visit their family. She said it was a great afternoon to play outside, but Tinitha said she is still shocked she witnessed her baby being hit by a car.

Tinitha looked back on the horrifying incident, while talking with Local 8 News at UT Medical Center.

She said, "He was riding on a tricycle and at this point he was no where near the street." Tinitha didn't like that her son was inching closer to the road, so she called him to come back.

"As soon as I got up, he thought it was a game and I was about to play with him, and he took off running from me," she said.

Right as the little boy reached the end of the driveway, the side of a car hit him. "The impact was so bad that my baby flew up in the air, his shoes came off and everything, and when he hit the ground, I hurried and scooped him up," she said.

Tenitha said, "And the car did not stop or nothing, it just kept going, it like kind of sped up to hurry up and get away from the scene."

Police say Tina Moore, 43, was behind the wheel, even though her license is revoked, and they say she may have been drinking.

And, Moore has lengthy criminal history. "She's also been charged with other charges such as reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, filing a false report, and DUI and assault," said Darrell DeBusk with the Knoxville Police Department.

Tenitha said, "How could a person hit a child and just keep going, not stop, not show no concern?"

Tinitha felt some relief when officers told her they caught the driver, about 5 hours later.

Now, she is just thankful Major only has cuts and bruises. "His face is just messed up, the left side of his face. He can't understand right now why he can't open up his other eye," she described of his swollen little face.

Tinitha said her son may go home as early as Thursday evening. Doctors were still watching watching him to make sure everything is OK.

Tina Moore faces charges for leaving the scene of an accident and driving on a revoked license. Since police believe she may have been drinking, more charges may be filed.