Crystal Little got the kind of visit to her front door every parent dreads.

An Oak Harbor police officer showed up Tuesday evening to let her know her 12-year-old son had been hit by a truck while riding his bike home from a friend’s house.

Her son, Joey Butcher, a seventh grader at Oak Harbor Middle School, is OK other than some soreness and a stiff neck. But Little has a message for drivers.

“Be aware of your surroundings,” she said. “You are in charge of a very large, very heavy item. You can cause some serious damage.”

As Joey wasn’t wearing his bike helmet, the outcome could have been far worse, Little said.

He was waiting to cross at the intersection of Heller Road and Crosby at around 5:30 p.m. He got the walk light, mounted his bike and pedaled across. An Oak Harbor man driving a red truck hit the boy, sending him bouncing off the hood. His head hit the pavement.

The driver asked the boy if he was “OK” and the boy, disorientated, said he was. The driver left the scene. A witness called 911 and stopped to help.

Little shared what happened on social media. The driver later turned himself into police.

So far, Joey’s mom has declined to press charges, said Capt. Teri Gardner.

Joey just wants a new bike, his mother said. But that won’t be happening, she said, unless he promises to wear his helmet.