Marysville boy, 13, hit by truck

Published 10:28 pm Thursday, February 12, 2009

MARYSVILLE — The Marysville boy had hoped to celebrate the end of classes before midwinter break with a trip to the skate park.

Instead, the 13-year-old wound up being rushed Thursday afternoon in a helicopter to a Seattle hospital with serious injuries.

Officials expect the Lakewood Middle School student to survive after being hit by a truck while crossing State Avenue in front of Marysville City Hall.

The boy had just stepped off a Community Transit bus around 4 p.m. The bus stop was about 300 feet from the nearest intersection, officials said.

He was headed to the Columbia Avenue skate park, said Matthew Torvik, 12.

“He’s my friend,” Torvik said. “We were just crossing in front of the bus.”

The boys apparently were not in a crosswalk.

Torvik said his friend wasn’t riding his skateboard.

The boy was hit by a Ford F-350 pickup. The 47-year-old driver from Lake Stevens was cooperating with police, Marysville police Cmdr. Ralph Krusey said.

As the boy stepped into traffic, the bus driver saw the pickup approaching, Community Transit spokesman Martin Mungia said. He honked his horn in an effort to warn the boy.

“The driver called 911 immediately,” he said. “Hopefully that helped get aid out here quickly.”

Marysville paramedics determined the boy had serious, but apparently not life-threatening injuries, Marysville Fire District spokeswoman Kristen Thorstenson said.

The teenager was conscious when he was flown in an air ambulance to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, the region’s trauma center, Thorstenson said.

Dozens of people crowded the sidewalks and watched as the chopper took flight from the parking lot next to City Hall.

Several Marysville city employees saw the accident, Marysville city administrator Mary Swenson said.

“It sounded like (the truck) ran over him,” Swenson said. “Hopefully the kid will be OK.”

As police investigated, the boy’s skateboard remained upside down in the southbound lane of State Avenue. The road was blocked during the busy commute as detectives collected evidence.

People should never try to cross a street in front of a bus, Krusey said.

“Use precautions,” he said. “Use crosswalks and make sure traffic is clear or has stopped, even in a crosswalk. Even if you have the right of way, they’re bigger than you are.”

Thursday was the last day of school in Marysville before the mid-February break, Torvik said.

The sunny afternoon was supposed to be full of joy. Instead, friends were worrying about the hurt boy.

“We go (skateboarding) just about every day that it isn’t raining,” Torvik said.

Jordan Grenier, a Marysville-Pilchuck High School senior, was among the dozens of teenagers who left the skate park to watch the helicopter take the boy away.

“You hope he’s alright,” he said.

Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437, jholtz@heraldnet.com