Santa Paula Police don’t have much to go on after a Monday hit and run that involved a child in an unlighted South 10th Street crosswalk.
According to SPPD Senior Officer Ken Clark, no one was injured in the incident that occurred January 25 at about 5:50 p.m. A 3-year-old boy and three adult women - his mother, grandmother and aunt - were crossing 10th Street at Ventura Street in the north crosswalk when a vehicle described as a white compact “bumped the boy” and fled from the scene. Clark said officers were able to obtain a partial license plate for the vehicle, which sported a cloverleaf logo and may have been a Mitsubishi. Santa Paula Fire EMTs and AMR Ambulance paramedics responded to the scene and examined the unidentified child, a resident of Fillmore. “The boy was checked at the scene; fire and paramedics evaluated him” and cleared him of injuries, but advised his mother, who signed the medical release, that if the boy displayed any later signs of injury to transport him to a hospital.
He noted the crosswalk used by the boy and adults is not the illuminated variety - the crosswalk on the south side at the intersection can be activated - and it was dark, “but there are street lights.” The boy had a plastic-type tricycle, but police were unable to determine from his family members if he was riding it at the time he was struck.
Clark said the scene was cleared within about 15 minutes. “Technically, it was not even an accident, no signs of injury - we weren’t even able to determine if the boy was knocked down - and no damage,” but Clark said the incident was documented for future reference.
