Boy Hit By Car, Rushed to Hospital with Head Injury

A 14-year-old boy who tried to cross Novato Boulevard without using a crosswalk was struck by a car Friday evening and hospitalized with head injuries, a fire official said.

The is investigating the accident, but Battalion Chief Mike Hughes — the first emergency personnel at the incident site — said the boy darted out in front of the oncoming car and the driver had no chance to react, according to an interview with the driver.

The boy was among a group standing on one side of Novato Boulevard at about 6:40 p.m. and tried to cross the street near the light at Tamalpais Avenue/Seventh Street, Hughes said. The driver was doing about 40 mph when the car struck the boy in front of 1683 Novato Blvd., about 30-40 feet from the nearest crosswalk, Hughes added.

The driver stopped and rendered first aid, the chief said. “He did a great job, maintained airway and spine alignment,” he said. “As soon as the medics got there, they went to work on him. … You could tell he was professionally trained.”

Hughes said he couldn’t tell the extent of the injuries. He said personnel at Marin General Hospital conducted an ultrasound on the boy’s midsection and then took him to get a brain scan.

Several other drivers stopped to offer help, and police officers arrived to investigate and manage traffic.