OCALA 6 YR old child on Christmas bicycle hit by car

[khoelldobler]

OCALA - A 6-year-old boy was struck by a car and critically injured Friday afternoon when he rode the bicycle he had received as a Christmas present out of a relative's yard and into a street near Vanguard High School.

Edward Johnson, an Eighth Street Elementary School kindergartner, was taken by helicopter to Shands at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Ocala police officials said Edward had been riding his new Huffy bike in the yard before he ventured out onto Northwest 26th Street.

He pulled out in front of a green Toyota Camry driven by Tera Pertee, 34, of Ocala, and was struck, police officials said. Edward was dragged about 50 feet before the car came to a stop.

Relatives of the boy said he had been staying with them at 105 N.W. 26th St.

A woman who identified herself as Edward's aunt - but who did not wish to give her name because she felt partly responsible - said he got the bicycle on Thursday as a Christmas present.

The woman said she had brought Edward to her house so that he could enjoy riding his new bike her large yard. She said he was told to stay inside the yard.

Ocala Fire Rescue officials got the called at 2:27 p.m. and were on scene at 2:33 p.m. However, a couple of minutes before city firefighters arrived, county responders arrived and called a trauma alert.