NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — A 15-year-old boy is in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle in New Port Richey while walking to school.
Pasco County Fire Rescue responded to the intersection of School Road and Madison Street near Gulf High School Tuesday morning at approximately 6:55 a.m.
The teen, a 9th grade student, was not walking in the crosswalk at the time of the crash and deputies say speed is not a factor. The student was unresponsive and was airlifted from the scene. He is currently in critical condition. There is a complete roadblock in the intersection and motorists are asked to seek alternate routes.
The student was hit by a van driven by a teacher and coach at the school. The teacher was driving with his seven-year-old child. They were not injured.
The teen's close circle of friends is having a rough time dealing with this.
“Just what a I woke up to was a call about it. I can’t get it out of my head," said Vincent Bavero.
“It just hit me really hard because he understood me a lot. If I had something going on at home I could talk to him," said Jaden Woodward.
Harry Fox lives on the corner has seen and heard many accident on Madison Street.
“I heard a bang and said somebody either got t-boned or rear ended. Little did I know it was a body.”
Fox says he has pushed for years to get a traffic light at the intersection outside the school.
“The only response I got was from the Mayor one time, left a message on my recorder. Thank you Mr. Fox for your letter. And that was about it.”
Meanwhile, friends of the injured teen don’t know much more than that he’s in critical condition.
“I want him to know he’s a really good friend and I love him," said Woodward.
They hope to hear good news soon.
00:36 “I just don’t want to have to miss him," said Bavero.
