Child struck by vehicle in Atwater sustains major injuries, police say

An Atwater child has been flown to a regional hospital with major injuries after he was struck by a vehicle Tuesday afternoon on Winton Way, the Atwater Police Department reported.

The child, a 12-year-old boy who attends Mitchell Senior Elementary, was riding a bicycle in the area around 3:50 p.m. Tuesday when he was struck by a red Nissan Quest van, Lt. Samuel Joseph said.

An update on his condition was not immediately available.

Details were preliminary as the investigation was still underway Tuesday afternoon.

The female driver of the van remained on scene and has been described as “very emotional” and “cooperative” with police. Her name and age were not available.

Officers said the child was riding his bicycle on Winton Way, just north of Fruitland Road, when he apparently tried to cross to the other side of the street. The driver, who was heading north at about 25 mph, attempted to take evasive action, but was unable to avoid the collision, police said.

“Turning the way she did probably prevented things from getting much worse,” Joseph said.

Neither drugs nor alcohol are believed to have been factors in the incident, police confirmed.

This story was originally published February 10, 2015 at 4:17 PM with the headline "Child struck by vehicle in Atwater sustains major injuries, police say."