UPDATE: Teen was not playing chicken with traffic, father says

Teen has lucky escape after being struck by car.

A Gympie student was hit by a car on Cootharaba Rd. Picture: Renee Albrecht

UPDATE: 

THE father of a teen hit by a car near Gympie State High School yesterday afternoon says his son was not 'playing chicken' with traffic as first reported.

Chris McLellan, said his 13-year-old son Coen, who sustained a broken wrist and cuts to his back, had been careless but not intentionally dangerous.

"He really just didn't look properly and stepped into the car," Mr McLellan said of the accident that occurred at the intersection of Cootharaba and Station Rds just after school. 

He said Coen was walking from Gympie State High School with a group of friends who were heading to the One Mile Ovals when the accident occurred.

He said the group stood chatting while waiting to cross when Coen saw a car coming from Station Rd.

"Coen said he saw the car coming when he looked right that he thought was far away, he then looked left and waited for the other cars to go, but didn't look back right again and stepped straight out in front of the car."

"He thought he had time," the father said. "But he just left it too long."

"It was careless but he's not really the sort of kid that's a risk taker."

A witness reported to The Gympie Times at the scene that the Year 8 student had been 'playing chicken' but Mr McLellan said he had another witness approach him who said he had only been trying to cross the road.

He said Coen was shaken from the accident and upset about the distress he had caused the driver; hoping to apologise to them in person today. 

"Fortunately it is a slow zone because a lot of kids do cross there," Mr McLellan said.   

EARLIER:

WITNESSES say a Gympie teenager has had a lucky escape after being hit by a car while playing a game of chicken.

The teen suffered a fractured arm in the accident, which happened on Cootharaba Rd below Gympie State High School just after 3pm.

According to witnesses a group of teens were playing around, running out in front of cars.

The teenager was treated at the scene before being taken to Gympie Hospital, while paramedics also comforted his friends and the driver of the car, who were left shaken by the accident.