APOPKA, Fla. -- A 13-year-old Apopka girl was hospitalized Tuesday morning after she was hit by a car Monday night along a curvy tree-lined road near her school. Police say the man who hit her left the scene and later said he thought he had hit a tree branch.

Aujia Ivory was walking along Ponkan Road near Jason Dwelley Parkway when she was struck. An alert sheriff's deputy spotted her a short time later and called for help.

Officers say the driver, 44-year-old Paul Wills, told them he thought he hit a tree branch driving home Monday night. Wills said he got home, inspected the damage and then went back to the scene. Even though he returned, Apopka police arrested Wills for leaving the scene.

"If you're not really sure, the prudent thing would be to pull over and see what you hit," said Steve Popp of the Apopka Police Department.

Ivory was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center. Her condition has not been released. The teenager attends Wolf Lake Middle School and may have been walking home when the incident happened.

Police say the charges against Wills could be upgraded depending on what happens to the teenager.