Child hit by car after running into street during altercation near Baltimore school
A video circulating on social media shows a young boy being hit by a car while watching a fight between several other children near a school in Baltimore on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
Police said an 11-year-old was struck by the car on Hilton Road as school was letting out at Green Street Academy. It is unclear if the child was affiliated with the nearby public charter school.
The boy was taken to a hospital and, as of Wednesday afternoon, his condition is unknown.
A man who was outside during the incident said the boy appeared to have been dragged by the car at least 10 feet.
"I mean I didn't really pay the fight no mind because they always have then, that's what kids do," Devonta said. "But once I heard the big impact, that what I kind of got my eyes on for real type stuff."
Police learned that the child was hit by an SUV after he ran into the street during an altercation. The driver remained on the scene, officers said. Some witnesses said he slipped while trying to film the fight.
The video shows the fight continued despite the child getting hit by the car.
"That's real crazy," Devonta said. "If it was my kid, I would want somebody to at least try to help. I get that a fight was going on but it's a fight, a little kid just got hit."
The crash is under investigation.
Child is expected to be OK
Family members told WJZ the child had two surgeries, but he is expected to be survive.
"Real scary, it's a kid man, you don't want to see that," Devonta said. "If it was my kid, I wouldn't want to see that."
Safety concerns
Neighbors told WJZ it was only a matter of time until something like this happened.
"There's too many kids and the kids just be running through traffic like it's nothing, so they need crossing guards," Devonta said.
Pedestrian-involved crashes in Maryland
So far this year, the state has recorded a total of 23 crash fatalities, according to data from the State Department of Transportation.
In the past five years, Maryland saw a 23% increase in pedestrian-involved fatal crashes, according to the data. In 2019, the state recorded a total of 124 pedestrian-involved crash deaths, compared to 153 in 2023.
Pedestrian-involved crashes that resulted in injuries decreased by nearly 9% in the past five years, from 2,752 cases in 2019 to 2,503 cases in 2023, data shows.
Between 2019 and 2023, fatal crashes in Baltimore increased by nearly 2%, and crash injuries in the past five years increased by nearly 12% in the city, data shows.
