Police looking for driver who struck 8-year-old boy on bicycle

An 8-year-old boy was hospitalized Wednesday after he was hit by a vehicle that then drove away in the 600 block of South Lightner, near Kellogg and Edgemoor.

Police are looking for the driver, described by the child as a man in a dark-colored car. It may be a Lexus, Wichita police Sgt. Nikki Woodrow said.

Woodrow said the boy was riding his bike with his young sister in that neighborhood and was trying to cross the street when the car came along and hit him at about 5:35 p.m. It didn’t stop.

Police called to the scene later couldn’t find it, either.

“The vehicle could have minor damage. However, right now we’re not sure where the damage could be located on the car,” Woodrow said. The car was northbound on Lightner when it hit the boy.

She asked that anyone who may have seen the car or knows who was driving it call 316-268-4407 or Wichita-Sedgwick County Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111. Crime Stoppers tipsters remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward if their information leads to an arrest.

Police also are asking neighbors with surveillance cameras outside their homes to check their footage for the car and contact authorities if they see it.

The boy’s injuries weren’t life threatening, Woodrow said.

This story was originally published January 26, 2017 at 1:23 PM with the headline "Police looking for driver who struck 8-year-old boy on bicycle."