13-Year-Old in Intensive Care After Being Hit by Truck Tire and Rim in Cranston

13-Year-Old in Intensive Care After Being Hit by Truck Tire and Rim in Cranston

A 13-year-old girl was injured crossing the street in Cranston on Tuesday -- by a truck tire and rim that had become dislodged.

 

About Incident 

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At approximately 3:30 PM, Cranston Police say that a pickup truck was traveling south on Dyer Avenue when the driver-side front tire and rim became dislodged from the vehicle. 

The tire and rim continued to roll in a southerly direction and struck a thirteen-year-old girl from Cranston while crossing the road on foot with her two friends near Oxford Street. 

The tire and rim struck her head-on with the momentum, causing her to fall backward. The pickup continued to travel south after losing the rim and tire until the axle snapped from the force of the pavement and came to rest a short distance away. 

The girl was immediately transported to Hasbro Children’s Hospital by Cranston Fire and Rescue, where she remains in intensive care. While the girl has serious injuries, including a concussion, she is expected to survive, according to authorities. 

While the investigation into the crash remains active, alcohol/drug impairment or speed are not suspected of being factors in the crash, say Cranston Police.
 
The forty-three-year-old driver, also from Cranston, remained on the scene before the arrival of responding Officers and has been cooperative. The driver stated he purchased the vehicle yesterday from a private party. 

State inspectors will further examine the vehicle to determine what may have caused the tire to dislodge. The driver may face motor vehicle charges once the investigation concludes.

Colonel Winquist stated, “All members of the Cranston Police Department are praying for a speedy recovery for the young girl who was injured this afternoon as she was walking home to school. Thankfully, incidents like these are extremely rare, but when they occur, they can have deadly consequences.”