Boy goes airborne when he’s struck by car while walking to school, Ohio video shows

A 9-year-old boy was struck by a vehicle as he and his brother walked in a crosswalk on their way to school, Ohio police said.

Video shared Tuesday, March 19, by the Medina Police Department shows the brothers quickly moving through the crosswalk when they had the right-of-way. Meanwhile, the driver of a car began turning left toward the boys.

The car struck the second of the two boys in the crosswalk, causing him to go airborne and land about 10 feet in front of the vehicle.

“I have never been that terrified in my life,” the boy’s father, John McKay, told WEWS of when he learned of the incident.

Police said the boy had scrapes and bruises but was otherwise OK. His mom, Shannon Estremera, shared a photo of the 9-year-old in the hospital, but said the family was back home the same night.

The second boy shown in the video was the 9-year-old’s brother, Estremera said in a second Facebook post. She commended the brother for his actions after the incident.

“His brother sat there and didn’t move a muscle, watching over him until their grandpa came and got him,” the mother said. “In fact, he was the one who called and informed us of what had happened before any police officer called us or any paramedic showed up. If it weren’t for his brother, we would have been unaware of the situation, and he would have been alone in the hospital. He did everything he was supposed to do, and then some.”

Charges are pending against the driver, police said, adding that the crash remained under investigation.

Police said in their Facebook post the accident “could have been much worse.”

“It was one of the scariest things I’ve had to deal with,” McKay told WOIO.

Medina is about a 35-mile drive southwest of Cleveland.

This story was originally published March 21, 2024 at 3:26 PM with the headline "Boy goes airborne when he’s struck by car while walking to school, Ohio video shows."