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Driver distracted by 'loud noise' hits 16-year-old girl sitting on sidewalk: FHP

Officials said the girl was seriously injured in the accident
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POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A teenage girl is seriously injured after a driver hit her while she was sitting on a sidewalk Wednesday afternoon, according to officials.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the driver, a 60-year-old woman from Winter Haven, was traveling east on Avenue B Southeast approaching 6th Street Southeast around 12:39 p.m. The driver then became distracted by a "loud, unknown noise."

According to FHP, her vehicle then traveled partially onto an adjacent sidewalk and struck the 16-year-old victim, who was sitting on the curb.

The victim was seriously injured and was taken to a local hospital. The driver was uninjured.

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