Boy Struck by Car in Ocean City; Bicyclist Hit in Separate Accident

DWitt

By Donald Wittkowski A 7-year-old boy was reported in stable condition after he was hit by a car Friday morning while crossing Bay Avenue near 18th Street in Ocean City. It was the second accident in only two days involving a child being struck by a vehicle in town. On Wednesday morning, a teenage girl riding a bicycle suffered minor leg injuries when she was hit at the intersection of Sixth Street and Atlantic Avenue, police said. Mayor Jay Gillian issued a public statement urging motorists and pedestrians to obey all traffic laws and use “extreme caution” while out on the road during the busy summer vacation season. The boy, who lives in Ocean City, but was not publicly identified, was airlifted to Cooper Medical Center in Camden for treatment. “The incident remains under investigation, but it’s a sobering reminder of the importance of traffic safety for both drivers and pedestrians,” Gillian said in his statement. “I hope you all will join me in saying prayers for him and his family. I also urge you all to use extreme caution on our busy summer roads, to follow all traffic laws, to pay attention and to go slow.” Det. Sgt. Stephen Sullivan, a spokesman for the Ocean City Police Department, didn’t know the extent of the boy’s injuries but said his mother told police he was in stable condition. The boy was in the crosswalk at the intersection of 18th Street and Bay Avenue when he was hit by a car shortly after 9 a.m. Friday, police said in a press release. The driver was identified as Heide Moyer-Chwal, 55, of Pipersville, Pa. Moyer-Chwal, who was not injured, was traveling westbound on 18th Street approaching Bay Avenue when the accident occurred. The crash remains under investigation by the police department’s Traffic Safety Unit. Meanwhile, a 15-year-old girl from Pittsburgh was struck by a vehicle while riding her bike through the intersection of Sixth Street and Atlantic Avenue at 8:46 a.m. Wednesday. Police said the bicyclist, whose name was not released, suffered minor leg injuries and was taken to Shore Medical Center in Somers Point for treatment. The driver was identified as Kathleen Moran, of Northfield. Moran made a turn on a green light heading northbound on Atlantic Avenue when she struck the bicyclist in a crosswalk, according to police. Moran was cited for careless driving, police said. The accident remains under investigation.