Boy critically injured in hit‑and‑run
A Middletown, Ohio report says a boy on a bicycle was struck in a hit‑and‑run and was left in critical condition while the driver fled the scene. ( )
A child riding a bicycle in Middletown, Ohio, was critically injured Friday evening after police said a driver hit him and fled. (wcpo.com) Middletown police said the crash was reported at about 5:48 p.m. on April 10 at Breiel Boulevard and South Lefferson Road. Medics took the boy to Atrium Medical Center before he was flown to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. (whio.com) Police said the child was in critical but stable condition as of Saturday, April 11. Investigators said a witness identified the suspect vehicle near the Kroger store at 3420 Towne Boulevard, where officers stopped it. (wlwt.com) Police identified the driver as Thomas Harris, 35, of Dayton. He was booked into the Middletown City Jail on charges of aggravated vehicular assault, operating a vehicle while impaired, and fleeing the scene. (wlwt.com) The case shifted quickly from a search for a hit-and-run driver to a felony arrest because a witness gave officers enough information to locate the vehicle within the city. Middletown police said the crash investigation is still open. (wkrc.com) The charges also mean investigators are treating the crash as more than a traffic violation. Police said Harris is accused of a second operating-while-impaired offense within 10 years, alongside the assault and hit-and-run counts. (wcpo.com) The crash happened on Breiel Boulevard, a major north-south road through Middletown, at its intersection with Lefferson Road. That left emergency crews working at a busy city corridor just before 6 p.m. on a Friday. (whio.com) Anyone with information was asked to contact the Middletown Police Department at 513-425-7700. As of the latest local reports on April 11, the boy remained hospitalized and the criminal case was moving forward. (wlwt.com)
