Boy on bicycle hit by driver in Portland

Boy on bicycle struck by driver in Portland, escapes with minor injury

An 11-year-old boy riding a bicycle was struck by a vehicle at a busy Portland intersection Monday evening, suffering a minor leg injury that was treated at the scene.

According to the Portland Police Department, the crash occurred at Brighton Avenue and St. John Street. Investigators say the driver, a 19-year-old Portland man, was talking on a cellphone when his vehicle struck the boy, who was crossing Brighton Avenue. Police said he was traveling through a green light at the time of the collision.

The driver faces charges of operating with a suspended license and driving to endanger, authorities said.

The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of pedestrian and cyclist safety in Maine's largest city. Just last week, Portland city councilors renewed calls for solutions aimed at preventing crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists. That push followed a fatal crash earlier this summer at a heavily traveled intersection, along with a string of other pedestrian injuries reported across the city.

Local leaders have been pursuing a range of measures in response, including a public awareness campaign, demonstration projects and new signage intended to make streets safer for people on foot and on bikes.

The conversation has also reached the county's top prosecutor. Cumberland County District Attorney Jacqueline Sartoris announced last month that her office will review charges in every future crash that injures a pedestrian or cyclist, signaling a tougher stance on driver accountability.

The intersection where Monday's crash occurred has itself drawn attention in recent months, becoming a focal point in broader debates about how Portland should address traffic safety in its busiest corridors.

No further details about the boy's condition were released. The driver has not been publicly identified.