An 11-year-old boy and another friend were running across 66th Street North during rush hour traffic Friday when one child was hit by a mini-van in the left turn lane.
The road was shut down for several hours as the Pinellas Park Police Department Traffic Homicide Unit investigated.
Initial information is that the two children had gone to a store to buy some snacks. They tried to cross the road while the light was red and traffic in the first three lanes were stopped. The 11-year-old didn’t notice cars had the green arrow.
“That traffic was flowing for the left turn lanes would've given the impression that it was possibly clear for them to run across and not see a vehicle traveling in that lane,” Sergeant Mike Lynch with Pinellas Park Police said.
After shattering the mini-van’s windshield, Lynch said the boy landed on the hood of another car sitting in traffic.
“Both children ran across mid-block, so not at the intersection,” Lynch said. “Obviously, it is something that we stress safety-wise: Always use the crosswalks.”
Both drivers stayed on scene. No one will be charged.
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