YORBA LINDA : Boy Hit by Truck in Critical Condition

A 13-year-old Placentia boy was in critical condition after he was struck by a pickup truck early Friday while crossing Yorba Linda Boulevard, apparently as he was walking to school.

Ryan Arthur Baxter suffered serious head injuries as he attempted to cross the busy street between Valley View Avenue and Richfield Road, said Brea Police Lt. Tom Christian. He was airlifted to Western Medical Center-Santa Ana, where he was listed in stable condition in the pediatric intensive care unit, according to hospital officials.

Christian said the driver of the truck, Mark Jonathan Campbell, 24, of Yorba Linda, was traveling east on Yorba Linda Boulevard about 8:10 a.m. when the teen-ager stepped out in front of the vehicle, apparently while on his way to Yorba Linda Middle School. Campbell attempted to swerve to avoid the boy, but the truck’s side mirror struck him, Christian said.

Police are still investigating the cause of the accident, Christian said. Campbell had not been drinking and he has not been charged in the incident, police said.

Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District officials declined comment until they receive the full police report. School officials have been working with the city of Yorba Linda to improve traffic safety.

But school officials said that Yorba Linda Middle School students who must cross Valley View often do not use the intersection where Ryan was hit.

“Very few of our students cross there,” said Ken Lorge, the principal of Yorba Linda Middle School.

He added that the students who must cross Yorba Linda Boulevard are instructed to cross at Richfield or Valley View, which are controlled by traffic signals.