A 13-year-old boy was hospitalized Friday, May 29,  after he was struck by a vehicle while riding a bicycle in downtown Downers Grove, police said.

The teen was riding near the intersection of Warren and Forest avenues along the railroad tracks when he apparently “darted out in front of the car” while trying to cross Forest Avenue at about 5:50 p.m. May 29, said Downers Grove Deputy Chief Kurt Bluder.

“The driver tried to brake but was unsuccessful,” Bluder said, according to statements from a witness at the scene.

Bluder said the teen, whose name police did not release, was transported to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove “with head injuries, but nothing life threatening.”

No tickets were issued to either the driver of the car or the teen, according to police. Both the driver and an eyewitness waited for police at the scene, Bluder said.

Chuck Derer, a Downers Grove resident who arrived at the scene after the crash occurred, said the impact of the bike caused the hood to crumple on the driver’s compact Chevrolet compact.
Derer said “there was plenty of blood on the pavement,” but the crash was not as bad as police originally thought.