Pierce County bicycle-vehicle crash leaves six-year-old boy injured

ORTING, Wash. — A six-year-old Pierce County boy is injured after he was hit by a vehicle.

Nicholas Muir told KIRO 7 News that his son Ryder was struck by a driver on Father’s Day after he and his children had been celebrating the holiday at a friend’s home in Orting.

As Muir was hugging his friend and saying goodbye, his son hopped on a bicycle and rode along a fence, he said.

Moments later, Muir heard a loud bang.

“You could hear the sound of something hitting the bumper, then the brakes. He was run completely over,” he said. “My heart was shattered. I picked him off the ground and held him. I was screaming, freaking out.”

“The worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” he added.

Muir said a vehicle struck his son in a large alleyway, which is connected to a driveway.

Ryder is expected to recover after suffering a fractured skull, broken ribs, a torn liver, and a torn lung, the father said.

Muir told KIRO 7 News that he believes he could’ve been more aware but said the driver should’ve been more cautious in a residential neighborhood.

“I was kind of surprised that somebody would be going fast enough and not care enough to even watch out for that kind of little guy sneaking away,” he said.

Kaitlin Leitch, the mother, said, “It’s like every parent’s worst nightmare. My kids went to go spend some time with their dad who loves them so much on Father’s Day and it turned out to be a nightmare.”

The Orting Police Department told KIRO 7 News the driver is not facing any charges in what they describe as a “freak accident.”

The parents told KIRO 7 News that they’re urging drivers to be extra careful to protect other children this summer as many students are on summer break.

“It’s important for drivers to know if you’re in a neighborhood, you need to slow down. You need to keep your eyes out and you need to watch because there’s going to be kids around. It’s summertime. Kids are going to be everywhere,” Leitch said.

“If this reaches somebody and saves somebody, that’s good enough for us,” Muir said.

A loved one created a GoFundMe page to help Ryder and his family as he recovers from his injuries. Please click here, if you would like to help.

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