PORT ST. LUCIE – A 14-year-old boy remains in critical condition at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach after he was hit by a car at Port St. Lucie Boulevard and Southwest Squirrel Avenue on Oct. 7 at about 6 a.m., according to Port St. Lucie Police.
The teenager was walking north along Port St. Lucie Boulevard to Treasure Coast High School, near the edge of the road aligned with construction barrels in the area, according to the news release.
He was struck from behind by a 2002 Ford Excursion driven by a 72-year-old man, according to the release.
The driver told police that he believed he hit a construction barrel and did not realize that he actually struck someone with his car. He made a U-turn at the next intersection, activated his hazard lights, and found the teenager unconscious on the side of the road, according to the release.
The driver then called 911 and has remained cooperative with investigators, according to the release.
The Treasure Coast High School freshman sustained life-threatening injuries currently in critical condition as of Oct. 8 in the pediatric intensive care unit at St. Mary’s, according to police reports.
The driver, who was not injured, showed no signs of impairment, according to the news release.
The police department is asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash or who may have dash-camera, surveillance, or other video footage from the area around the time of the incident to contact the police department at 772-871-5000.