Boy, 4, Struck After Running Into Street
A 4-year-old Simi Valley boy remained hospitalized with serious head injuries Thursday night, the day after he was hit by a car in front of his home, authorities said.
Joel Lopez was transferred about midnight Wednesday from Simi Valley Hospital to Northridge Hospital Medical Center because his injuries required specialized care in a pediatric intensive care unit, a Simi Valley Hospital spokeswoman said.
Joel had just bought a roasted ear of corn from a street vendor with his mother when he ran out into Cordero Avenue in front of the vendor’s parked van and was struck by an older model Volvo, said Simi Valley Police Officer Butch Hale.
“By all indications, the man was probably going under 20 mph, maybe 15. He was very concerned.”
The driver of the car, a Pasadena man in his early 30s, was not identified. Hale said the motorist had been driving to a friend’s house when the accident occurred. The man was not cited.
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