Lower Gwynedd Boy Flown to CHOP after Vehicle Hit and Run

A 12-year-old boy was struck by a Ford Contour sedan as he was riding his bike on Bethlehem Pike in Lower Gwynedd early Tuesday evening, requiring him to be flown by helicopter to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Lower Gwynedd Police Chief John Scholly said that the boy is alive, but does not know the extent of his injuries.

MontCoAlerts, which monitors emergency broadcasts in Montgomery County, reported that the boy was bleeding from the head when responders found him.

Police say the boy was traveling north on the roadway near Cedar Hill Road at about 5:30 p.m. when the car crossed the white line and struck him from behind. A witness traveling behind the Contour said the boy was dragged for about 20 feet before coming free of the vehicle, while the bike was carried for an additional four or five blocks. The Contour then made a right onto Welsh Road, where it was last seen heading in the direction of Upper Dublin.

The vehicle was described as a maroon 1998 Ford Contour four-door sedan, driven by an older male, and the witness was able to provide police with the license plate number HNZ-6793. Police say the vehicle is registered to a woman, who they do not believe was driving the vehicle at the time. The vehicle number and description have been broadcast to surrounding authorities, Scholly said.

While the identity of the boy has not been released, Scholly said that he lives within a few blocks of where the accident occurred.

As of 7:10 p.m., Bethlehem Pike remained closed between the Giant parking lot and the road's merge point with 309. County crime scene reconstruction detectives were en route to conduct an investigation.