By Staff
NILES - A 13-year-old girl, a student at Ring Lardner Middle School, who was struck by a car Thursday morning was treated and released at Memorial Hospital in South Bend that day. Niles City Police did not release the victim's name.
The girl was struck at 7:13 a.m. on North 17th Street, near Ferry Street, according to a police report.
The incident occurred just as a group of children were walking to school. One child ran across the roadway in front of a vehicle heading southbound on North 17th Street, the report said.
The driver of the vehicle, Joshua Wayne Richardson, 26, of 521 Clark St., Niles, reportedly swerved to miss the juvenile.
As he did, he struck the victim as she attempted to run across the street after her friend, according to the report.
Witness statements indicated that the children did not give themselves enough time to cross the street based on traffic conditions, nor were they crossing the street in the crosswalk, the report said.
Neither speed or alcohol appeared to be a factor in the crash, the report said.
Niles City Police officers were assisted at the scene by the Niles City Fire Department and SMCAS Ambulance Service. No citations have been issued at this time.