Boys injured in East Palo Alto hit-and-run expected to survive

Two teen boys injured in an East Palo Alto hit-and-run collision Wednesday afternoon remain at a hospital as of Thursday morning for injuries not considered life-threatening, police said.

Officers responded to a 911 call reporting a collision at Cooley Avenue and Runnymede Street just before 4 p.m. Wednesday, Police Sgt. Angel Sanchez said.

When police reached the scene, they found two 15-year-old boys, one on the street and another on the sidewalk, Sanchez said.

Witnesses told investigators that the teens tried to jump out of the vehicle’s path, Sanchez said.

The teens were crossing Cooley Avenue, where they were hit by a newer model green- or dark-colored Ford Ranger driven by a Hispanic man about 30 feet away from the intersection with Runnymede Avenue, according to Sanchez.

The driver turned right on Runnymede Avenue and left the scene, the sergeant said.

It’s possible the vehicle sustained damage, but officers didn’t find any debris leftover at the collision scene, Sanchez said.

The boys had injuries to their lower extremities, with one of them possibly suffering from a broken leg, Sanchez said. The boys were friends with each other and one them lives on Cooley Avenue.

They were both taken to Stanford Medical Center, one with significant injuries and one with serious injuries, according to Menlo Park Fire Protection District Chief Harold Schapelhouman.

They were struck by a vehicle that appears to have failed to stop at a stop sign, Schapelhouman said.

The response time by fire crews and paramedics was under two minutes because the incident was close to a firehouse, according to Schapelhouman.

Police are looking for any home surveillance video that captured the hit-and-run. Anyone with information on the suspect, suspect vehicle or the collision is asked to call police dispatch at 650-321-1112 and ask for Sanchez or leave an anonymous tip at 650-409-6792.

Bay City News Service contributed to this story.

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