MERLIN, Ore.– An eight-year-old boy from Merlin is in the hospital Thursday after being hit by a car.
Witnesses at the scene said the school bus dropped off the boy on Pleasant Valley Road near Peach Street Wednesday afternoon. As it started to drive away, that’s when the boy darted across the road and was hit.
The Josephine County Sheriff’s Office said the driver was in no way distracted or inhibited while driving and will not be charged with any crime. But it does serve as a reminder to both parents and drivers to be careful on the road.
“You don’t know if they’re going to step into the roadway,” said Undersheriff Travis Snyder. “It’s that time of year that it’s good to be vigilant and safe when you’re in those school bus areas.”
The child was flown to Eugene with what appears to be a broken leg, according to one of the first witnesses on the scene. He declined to be on camera. At this time, the sheriff’s office confirmed the boy had serious but not fatal injuries.
Rural Metro Fire, which had first responders at the scene, posted on social media urging, “parents and guardians to educate kids to use caution when crossing a roadway — by looking both directions carefully before crossing, or use intersections and crosswalks where available.”
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