Boy in crosswalk hit by truck in Oak Harbor

An 11-year-old student at North Whidbey Middle School was seriously injured Monday morning when he was struck by a truck at a crosswalk on Regatta Drive.

Oak Harbor Police Chief Rick Wallace said the sixth-grader, later identified as Alex Snellman, was transported from Whidbey General Hospital to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for further treatment, but the injuries are not likely to be life threatening.

Monday afternoon, a Harborview spokesman said Snellman is in serious condition in the intensive care unit. Officer Dennis DIckinson said Snellman suffered a broken femur and a fractured clavicle.

Wallace said Snellman was apparently walking to school when the accident occurred at about 7:30 a.m. in dark, overcast conditions. He was going across Regatta Drive on the crosswalk just south of Whidbey Avenue when a truck struck him.

According to Wallace, the truck was southbound on Regatta Drive behind another vehicle.

The driver of the 1985 GMC truck told officers he was unable to stop in time.

Wallace said an officer is continuing to investigate the case. He said there’s a chance that the drive could face a charge of failure to yield to a pedestrian.

Monday morning, Oak Harbor School District Communications Director Joe Hunt said the school district didn’t have a lot of information concerning the Monday morning accident. The school district hasn’t decided on how it will respond to the incident.

Contact Whidbey News Times Assistant editor Jessie Stensland at jstensland@whidbeynewsgroup.com or 360.675.6611 ext. 5056.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.