A 5-year-old Kennett Square boy who reportedly darted across the street to get to his bus stop, was struck by a car early Tuesday morning, Jan. 12, at 8:10 a.m., police said.
Police said the kindergartner, who is not being identified by police, was transported to Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children with injuries to his lower extremities that did not appear life-threatening.
Kennett Square Cpl. Rick Bell, the first officer on the scene, said his immediate priority was to get medical assistance for the boy, who was accompanied in the ambulance by his mother. “This appeared to be a tragic accident,” Bell said.
Bell said the investigation is continuing; however, witness accounts suggested that the 18-year-old driver of the Mini Cooper, who is also not being identified, did nothing wrong. Bell said the 18-year-old was headed south in the 200 block of South Union Street when the boy, a student at the Mary D. Lang Kindergarten Center, ran out from in between parked cars into the street.
The school bus, which was traveling northbound on South Union, was visible down the block but had not yet activated its lights. “We think the boy saw his bus, got excited, and ran across the street to get to the stop,” Bell said.
Bell said that there was no indication the teen was traveling above the speed limit, and he said that charges are unlikely.
He added that he hoped the accident would remind parents to stress to their children the importance of watching out for traffic. “This is a prime example of what can happen,” Bell said.
