A young child is fighting for their life after being hit by a van in Melbourne.
Just after 9pm on Monday, the toddler was riding a balance bike with his father across Thames Promenade in Chelsea Heights.
It is understood a white van was travelling west near the intersection of Mulkarra Drive, when it struck the child at the pedestrian crossing, Victoria Police allege.
Detective Acting Sergeant Leigh Miller said the crossing signal was green.
‘The boy has ridden ahead of his father and sadly the (vehicle) failed to see the boy and he’s been struck,’ he said.
The toddler was taken to the Royal Children’s Hospital in critical condition, where he remains on life support.
It is understood multiple people saw the incident and stopped to help, including an off-duty police officer who supported until emergency services arrived.
The van driver, a 29-year-old Clyde man, also stopped immediately. He was arrested but has since been released pending further enquiries.
A young child was crossing a road on a bike in Melbourne when they were hit by a van
Police will investigate whether speed, drugs or alcohol contributed to the accident, along with possible driver inattention.
‘The lights are operating as far as we can tell, they are operating correctly,’ he said.
‘Our investigation will be to try and determine whether the driver was paying enough attention and why he failed to see the young boy.’
‘We just hope and pray that he can survive his injuries.’
