By David Miller
OLATHE, Kan. — A 15-year-old boy was injured Wednesday evening after being struck by a pickup truck while riding his bicycle through a crosswalk at Santa Fe Street and Blackfoot Drive in Olathe.
The accident happened shortly after 7:15 p.m. Oct. 14 near the QuikTrip convenience store, prompting a large response from Olathe police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel.
According to Olathe police, the pickup was traveling south on Blackfoot Drive and making a right turn onto westbound Santa Fe Street, also known as 135th Street, when it struck the teenager, who was crossing the roadway from south to north in the crosswalk.
Emergency responders found the boy underneath the pickup truck. He was transported to Children’s Mercy Hospital with injuries that police described as non-life-threatening.
An employee at the nearby QuikTrip, who was working outside in the parking lot when the accident occurred, told Olathe Today that witnessing the aftermath was deeply disturbing.
The employee, who asked not to be identified, described it as the most horrific thing he had ever witnessed and said the experience affected him so much that he had difficulty sleeping afterward.
He said the teenager was pinned beneath the pickup truck. According to the employee, the truck was pulling a trailer carrying a riding lawn mower.
The employee also told Olathe Today that the pickup driver came into the QuikTrip after the collision to request surveillance video of the incident.
Video recorded at the scene by Olathe Today’s David Miller shows the extensive emergency response, including two fire trucks, numerous Olathe police vehicles, a fire command vehicle and ambulances. The footage also captures emergency vehicles responding to the scene as officers worked to secure the intersection and redirect traffic.
Police said the driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. Field sobriety testing was conducted, and the driver consented to a blood sample as part of the investigation. Authorities have not announced whether impairment was a factor.
No arrests were made or citations issued at the scene.
The collision resulted in the closure of Santa Fe Street in both directions between Blackfoot Drive and Brougham Drive while emergency crews assisted the injured teenager and investigators examined the crash scene.
Santa Fe Street reopened later that evening.
The Olathe Police Department’s Traffic Safety Unit is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision. No additional information about the teenager’s condition has been released.
Video: David Miller / Olathe Today
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