Palatine Boy, 5, Dies Following Monday Crash: UPDATE

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A 5-year-old Palatine boy has died after he was hit by a car Monday afternoon, police said Tuesday morning.

The boy, who family members said was autistic, was seen by witnesses walking by himself at 4:15 p.m. when he stepped into traffic on Palatine Road, according to a Palatine Police Department press release.

He was hit by a 2006 Hyundai Sedan that had just turned left onto eastbound Palatine Road from Winston Drive, police said. Preliminary reports show the boy was not in a crosswalk and that he walked into the path of the vehicle.

Police said they were unsure Tuesday why the boy was walking by himself.

“The STAR (Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction) Team is still working on reconstruction and follow up formal interviews that will likely continue over the next couple of days,” said Commander Craig Lesselyoung in an e-mail.

The driver of the car, a 53-year-old Bartlett man, was not injured in the crash.

The boy was first taken to Northwest Community Hospital and then by helicopter to Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The boy was pronounced dead at 1:38 a.m. Tuesday, according to the news release.

No citations had been issued as of Tuesday morning, Lesselyoung said. The crash remains under investigation.

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