A small child was left in critical condition Monday evening after being struck by a vehicle near 35th and Peoria Avenues in north Phoenix, with police saying they believe the driver may have been impaired. First responders were called to the scene just before 6:30 p.m. The child's age and gender have not been released.
According to Arizona's Family, the Phoenix Police Department reported that a small child had been hit by a car near the intersection, and the child was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Police said they believe the driver may have been impaired, though it remains unclear whether the driver was arrested at the scene. The driver has not been publicly identified.
Road Closed for Hours During Investigation
The road near the crash site was restricted for several hours while investigators worked the scene, the outlet's report notes, before it reopened once the probe wrapped up. No further details about how the crash unfolded, what led up to it, or the extent of the child's injuries beyond the critical designation have been made public.
The case adds to a string of recent crashes involving children and pedestrians across the Phoenix area, though each remains a separate incident with its own circumstances. In one such case, a 14-year-old boy was left in life-threatening condition after being hit by a vehicle while walking in a crosswalk in north Phoenix, as reported by ABC15. Officers and fire crews in that case were called around 7:30 p.m. to 35th Avenue and Dunlap Avenue, where witnesses told police the teen was walking in the crosswalk when he was struck by an adult male driver headed south on 35th Avenue.
Other Nearby Crashes Underscore Pattern of Serious Injuries
In that Dunlap Avenue case, a Drug Recognition Expert evaluated the driver and found no signs of impairment, ABC15 reported. The driver stayed at the scene, was not hurt, and was ultimately cited for traffic violations and released.
Other recent west Phoenix-area crashes have also sent young victims to the hospital in critical condition. 12News reported that a female child and a man were transported to the hospital after a crash at 35th Avenue and Thomas Road, which the Phoenix Fire Department said happened just after 2 p.m. A separate crash near 38th and Peoria avenues sent two drivers to the hospital, one with life-threatening injuries, according to the same outlet.
A past Peoria case shows how severe the consequences of impaired driving can be. FOX 10 Phoenix reported that Bjorn Keali Hartzell was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to five counts of second-degree murder and one count of endangerment. Prosecutors said Hartzell, then 16, was driving between 112 and 115 mph in a 40 mph zone when his vehicle struck a minivan near 107th Avenue and Lone Cactus Drive in November 2023, killing five people, including two adults and three juveniles, with one juvenile surviving. A drug recognition expert observed signs of cannabis impairment, Hartzell admitted to smoking marijuana, and a court-authorized blood draw confirmed the presence of THC, prosecutors said.
No additional information about the child hurt near 35th and Peoria Avenues, including their identity or medical status beyond critical condition, or about the driver's identity or any potential charges, has been released.
