13-year-old RI girl in intensive care after being struck by tire and rim while walking home from school

Police are continuing an investigation after a teenage girl was seriously injured Tuesday afternoon after being struck by a tire and rim.

According to Colonel Michael J. Winquist, Chief of the Cranston Police Department, at approximately 3:30 p.m., a pickup truck was traveling south on Dyer Avenue when the driver-side front tire and rim became dislodged from the vehicle. The tire and rim continued to roll in a southerly direction and struck a thirteen-year-old girl from Cranston while crossing the road on foot with her two friends near Oxford Street. The tire and rim struck her head-on with the momentum, causing her to fall backward. The pickup continued to travel south after losing the rim and tire until the axle snapped from the force of the pavement and came to rest a short distance away. The girl was immediately transported to Hasbro Children’s Hospital by Cranston Fire and Rescue, where she remains in intensive care. While the girl has serious injuries, including a concussion, she is expected to survive.

While the investigation into the crash remains active, alcohol/drug impairment or speed are not suspected of being factors in the crash. The forty-three-year-old driver, also from Cranston, remained on the scene before the arrival of responding Officers and has been cooperative. The driver stated he purchased the vehicle yesterday from a private party. State inspectors will further examine the vehicle to determine what may have caused the tire to dislodge. The driver may face motor vehicle charges once the investigation concludes.

Colonel Winquist stated, “All members of the Cranston Police Department are praying for a speedy recovery for the young girl who was injured this afternoon as she was walking home to school. Thankfully, incidents like these are extremely rare, but when they occur, they can have deadly consequences.”