Helmet saved life of 11-year-old boy hit by a 4WD at Forestville

A HELMET may have saved the life of an 11-year-old boy who was struck by a four-wheel-drive vehicle as it was being driven out of a service station at Forestville on Friday afternoon.

Police at the scene where an 11-year-old boy was hit by a 4WD at Forestville. Picture: Braden Fastier

A HELMET may have saved the life of an 11-year-old boy who was struck by a four-wheel-drive vehicle as it was being driven out of a service station at Forestville on Friday afternoon.

Police said the boy was riding his scooter on the footpath along Warringah Rd at Forestville about 5pm when he was hit by the 4WD.

They said the boy was crossing the driveway of a service station when he was struck by the 4WD as it was being driven out of it.

The boy was treated at the scene and placed in an induced coma before being airlifted to The Children’s Hospital at Randwick with serious injuries.

The female driver of the vehicle wasn’t injured but was taken to hospital to undergo mandatory blood and urine testing.

Officers from Northern Beaches local area command have established a crime scene and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

At one stage, all westbound lanes of Warringah Rd were closed to traffic, which was diverted into Cook St, but all eastbound lanes remained open.

Due to the heavy traffic in the area, buses were delayed up to 30 minutes.

The boy was expected to be released from the intensive care unit at the hospital on late Saturday and to be released from the hospital within a few days.

Northern Beaches duty officer Insp Guy Magee said the fact the boy was wearing a helmet could have made the difference between life and death.