NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — Police say that two children were taken to Oishei Children's Hospital after they were struck by a vehicle.
Niagara Falls police have confirmed that a 9-year-old girl and her 10-year-old brother were crossing Pine Avenue, just north of 26th Street when they were hit. Investigators say a black van headed east stopped to let them cross, but they were hit by a westbound gold 2008 Chrysler Town and Country. The driver was a 79-year-old woman from Pennsylvania.
The girl was hit into the eastbound vehicle that stopped to let them cross. Police say the boy was thrown into the street. The driver of that car was Eva Sepe she told 2 On Your Side what she witnessed.
"We were riding up Pine Avenue and the little kids were trying to cross the street there was no traffic coming we stopped. We let them go across the street but this car was flying down Pine Avenue and just kept going and hit the little kids."
A portion of Pine Avenue in Niagara Falls was closed while police investigated the crash.
The Niagara Falls Department, Rural Metro Ambulance, and Mercy Ambulance responded to the crash. The children were taken to Oishei Children's Hospital in Buffalo. Police say it does not appear that their injuries are life-threatening, but the two children will be observed overnight.
The driver of the Chrysler and her 81-year-old passenger told police that they were not injured. The driver did stay on the scene and was questioned by the police.
Niagara Falls Police Captain Angela Munn said pedestrian accidents are on the rise in the city.
"All over Niagara Falls we have a lot of pedestrian accidents and we’ve been targeted by the Governor's safety commission to do some education and some enforcement to try to curb the problem."
The kids were released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon. Police say they're both doing well and they don't have plans to file charges at this point, though they're still looking at surveillance video.
Police say the crash remains under investigation.
