Boy hit by truck near Elk Grove in critical condition

An 11-year-old boy is in critical condition after being hit by a semi truck Tuesday evening while crossing a four-lane road with a friend near Elk Grove Village.

The accident occurred about 6:20 p.m. near the intersection of Oakton Street and Higgins Road as the boy was walking south from his residence to a nearby fast-food restaurant, according to police.

Cook County Sheriff’s spokesman Frank Bilecki said the children had crossed the two westbound lanes and were waiting in the middle of the road to walk across the two eastbound lanes when a car heading east slowed down to let them pass.

The driver of the eastbound truck from Arkansas did not see the car slow down for the children and was unable to stop in time to avoid striking the 11-year-old, Bilecki said, adding that there was not a trailer connected to the truck at the time of the crash.

The truck driver was given various tests after the accident, and none showed signs of impairment, Bilecki said. No citations were issued.

According to officers who responded to the scene, the driver “was visibly shaken, distraught about the incident,” Bilecki said. The man’s 12-year-old grandson was a passenger in the truck and witnesses said he “was also upset at the scene,” he added.

The boy was taken to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where he remains in critical condition, Bilecki said.