A teenage boy struck by a vehicle Monday morning near Hobbs High School was treated and released after the accident, according to the Hobbs Police Department. The driver of the vehicle was cited afterwards.
Around 6:20 a.m. Monday, a pickup truck hit a 14-year-old boy as he was crossing in the crosswalk at the Jefferson and Sanger street intersection located northwest of the high school. The vehicle reportedly turned left from Jefferson onto Sanger and struck the boy.
Hobbs Police Chief Chris McCall confirmed EMS personnel transported the boy to Lea Regional Medical Center for treatment and he was later released. McCall also urged Hobbs motorists to take “extra caution” in areas with higher pedestrian traffic.
“From a safety standpoint, we just want to remind drivers that in and around schools as well as anywhere where large numbers of folks may be gathered or may be a higher foot traffic area — we encourage folks to take a little extra caution and check the area,” McCall said Monday afternoon. “Most drivers in Hobbs aren’t used to a lot of foot traffic in the areas, but definitely we see that around schools where we would ask the public to take extra caution.”
He also said the driver involved in the accident was cited for careless driving. McCall did not know if the boy is a Hobbs High School student.
The police department has responded to at least two other early morning pedestrian-involved crashes this year, which involved EMS transport to Lea Regional. On June 5, around 5:28 a.m., officers responded to Turner and Llano streets where Hobbs resident Gary Lopez, 51, was struck by a vehicle as he walked with his bicycle to cross the Turner Street intersection. Lopez was later released from the hospital and the driver was cited for failure to yield to the bicylist.
Two months earlier, Hobbs police responded April 7, around 5 a.m., to the Bender Boulevard and Mora Drive intersection where Daniel Lollar, 51, also of Hobbs, was found lying on the ground with injuries. Six days later, the department issued a press release requesting anyone with information to call them or Lea County Crime Stoppers at 575-393-8005. Lollar had been transported for medical treatment and listed in stable condition at Lea Regional, at time of the release.
A truck reportedly fled the scene of the accident. Lollar described it as plain, dark colored pickup that possibly had an extended cab. “I don’t think we’ve been able to identify the vehicle that was involved in that hit-and-run,” McCall said. McCall said the case is “active,” but did not give an update on Lollar’s status citing HIPAA regulations.
