MILLSBORO, DELAWARE (5/15/2016) A 10-year-old chasing two baseballs was seriously injured when he was struck by a van near Millsboro on Saturday, and the driver was charged with DUI, the Delaware State Police said.
The accident happened about 3:30 p.m. on Iron Branch Road near East Millsboro Elementary School.
Police said the boy left the playground area to retrieve two basesballs that went over the fence and across the road, and he failed to see the northbound 1994 Ford Econoline van when he darted into the road and was struck by the front bumper.
The boy was knocked to the ground on the northbound shoulder, and the van came to a controlled stop.
The boy was initially taken by ambulance to Beebe Healthcare’s hospital in Lewes, then transferred to Nemours/A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Rockland.
The driver, John C. Swift, 54, of Millsoboro, was not injured. He was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and driving while his license was suspended or revoked.
Iron Branch Road was closed about 2.5 hours as police investigated.