A 10-year-old boy walking in a marked Petaluma crosswalk yesterday was hit by a car in what police say was a DUI hit-and-run, rattling a corridor that has already been under scrutiny for safety problems.
The child suffered minor injuries, was taken to a medical facility, and is expected to make a full recovery, according to police.
What Happened
The collision unfolded at the intersection of Washington Street and Howard Street while the boy was in a marked crosswalk, according to a Petaluma Police Department news release reported by The Press Democrat. Witnesses quickly provided officers with the vehicle’s license plate number as the driver kept going, continuing westbound on Bodega Avenue.
Armed with that information, officers were able to identify and track down the suspected vehicle a short time later, police said.
Howard Street Already On The Safety Agenda
The block where the boy was struck is not exactly an unknown trouble spot. Howard Street and the nearby Bodega/Washington junction have already been targeted for pedestrian and bike upgrades, including curb extensions, buffered bike lanes and split-signal phasing that gives people on foot a head start at the light, as reported by the Petaluma Argus-Courier…