Incident
A 13-year-old boy on a bicycle was struck by a vehicle at the roundabout of Sugar Road and Wises Road in Buderim, Queensland, at approximately 6:00 p.m. on May 7. The vehicle fled the scene.
The boy sustained severe leg injuries requiring multiple surgeries.
Current Status
The boy was transferred from Sunshine Coast University Hospital to Queensland Children's Hospital in Brisbane, where he remains in critical but stable condition.
Investigation
Sunshine Coast Forensic Crash Unit Sergeant Sherryn Klump stated the boy had undergone four major surgeries, each lasting 8 to 15 hours, to save his leg.
Police released security footage of a white four-wheel-drive dual cab utility believed to be involved.
Sergeant Klump urged the driver to contact police, noting that individuals involved in such incidents sometimes later turn themselves in.
"The boy had undergone four major surgeries, each lasting 8 to 15 hours, to save his leg."
Statements
Sergeant Klump reported that the boy was traveling in a bicycle lane and that the vehicle on the roundabout had right of way. She described cyclists as vulnerable road users and emphasized the seriousness of injuries they can sustain in collisions.
The boy's mother expressed gratitude for community and family support.
"Cyclists are vulnerable road users, and the injuries they can sustain in collisions are serious."
— Sergeant Sherryn Klump