Boy hit by float during Crystal Lake holiday parade

An 8-year-old boy was taken to Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital near Lake Barrington with what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries after being struck by a float during the annual Festival of Lights Parade in downtown Crystal Lake.

At 7:52 p.m. Friday, emergency crews from the Crystal Lake Fire Rescue and Police Departments responded to North Williams Street between East Woodstock Street and Brink Street to a report that the moving float had struck the child.

Crystal Lake Fire Rescue personnel tended to and transported the 8-year-old boy from the scene.

Crystal Lake Police conducted a traffic crash investigation and determined that the child had been a participant in the parade, riding on the float for a local Boy Scouts of America group.

Police said the child attempted to get off of the float to follow an adult distributing candy to parade watchers and, in the process, he became entangled with a revolving wheel of the float.

The child fell to the street, and the wheel rolled over the lower portion of his body, resulting in the injury.

The driver of the float, upon realizing something had occurred, stopped immediately and backed the float off the child.

No citations have been issued and are not anticipated, police said.