Merced teenager struck by vehicle

A 15-year-old girl was taken to a hospital Thursday after she was struck by a vehicle while crossing R Street, the Police Department said.

Sgt. Tony Aponte said the girl was “crossing illegally” about 3:45 p.m. from the east side to the west side of the 3100 block of R Street, near the Merced Mall.

The exact nature of the girl’s injuries was not clear. She was taken to Mercy Medical Center by a Riggs ambulance.

“She was walking with friends and saw some other people across the road, and tried to get across,” Aponte said at the scene.

The vehicle that struck the girl, a red Saturn sedan, pulled to the side of the road, and the motorist cooperated with officers. The driver, whose identity was not released, was not injured but was described by police as “shaken up” emotionally.

Neither drugs nor alcohol were factors in the crash, police said.

Northbound traffic on R Street, near Olive Avenue, was shut down for a short time after the crash.

This story was originally published March 5, 2015 at 5:11 PM with the headline "Merced teenager struck by vehicle."