Boy critical after being hit by truck

A boy is in critical condition in Waikato Hospital after being struck by a truck yesterday.

The boy, believed to be in his early teens, stepped in front of the northbound truck near a bridge on State Highway One in Ngaruawahia about midday, Huntly strategic traffic unit Sergeant Juliet Burges said.

He was taken to Waikato Hospital with critical injuries and admitted to intensive care, she said.

The Waikato Serious Crash Unit was investigating.

The Hamilton V8 motor race had increased traffic flows around the region and parents know where their children were at all times, Waikato road policing manager Inspector Leo Tooman said.

"We've got school holidays occurring simultaneously with the big race event so the roads are very busy and we're asking pedestrians and motorists alike to exercise caution," he said.

- NZPA