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Teen struck by car the day after his birthday
AUSTINTOWN
A teenage pedestrian was struck by a car traveling south on state Route 46 Monday afternoon.
Several witnesses said he was running across the five-lane road in front of Panera Bread.
Witnesses Joe and Shannon Blaede said once they saw the incident they pulled over and called 911.
“I just saw it in my rearview mirror – him run across the street and get hit,” Joe Blaede said. “It looked like he did a cartwheel in the air and hit the road.”
His wife said although she didn’t see it, she heard it.
“It sounded like a big thud,” she said. “Then when we saw the kids in the street, we pulled right around.”
Joe Blaede said the friend who was running with the injured pedestrian rushed to help him get off the road and onto the side of the street.
Alissa Stout, mother of the injured Christian Stout, 14, both of Austintown, arrived shortly after the accident, grabbing her son’s friend into a tight hug that shook with sobs.
Stout released Christian’s friend and began asking person after person if they could tell her what happened. She stood near the empty white Cobalt and asked, “Is that the dent from my son?” while inspecting the dented hood of the vehicle and knelt over, sickened with worry.
Shortly after officers took statements and witness reports, Christian was able to call his mother from the ambulance to tell her he was all right.
Stout said her son just turned 14 Sunday, and hopes this is the worst luck out of the way for his next year to come.
The driver of the white Cobalt remained in the vehicle in the same position in the roadway until police arrived and advised her to move the car.
The driver just continued to repeat, “He just ran out. He ran out, out of nowhere.”