Teenager hit crossing highway

A 16-year-old boy walked away with minor injuries after being hit by a vehicle Wednesday on Highway 525.

At 7:30 a.m. first responders were dispatched to a reported accident on the highway near Ledgewood Beach Road, according to Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue Capt. Jerry Helm.

Responders arrived to find the boy alongside the highway with his school backpack.

“He was alert and talking,” Helm said.

The boy was transported to WhidbeyHealth Medical Center, but Helm said he sustained no serious injuries. The boy had been crossing the highway when a small two-door hatchback struck him. The vehicle remained at the scene, Helm said.

Law enforcement diverted traffic while Washington State Patrol and the Island County Sheriff’s Office investigated the incident.

Helm said pedestrians should proceed with caution when crossing busy roads, especially the highway.

“I think he’s extremely lucky,” Helm said. “It could have been a lot worse.”