Boy struck by car, seriously wounded in Austin

A 5-year-old boy was struck by a car and seriously wounded Saturday evening in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side.

About 6:50 p.m., a 35-year-old man was driving southbound in the 500 block of North Pine when the boy “ran into the street,” police said.

The driver swerved his vehicle to avoid hitting the boy, but instead crashed into a parked vehicle and then struck the boy, police said.

The child was taken in serious condition to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, police said.

The driver, who was not injured, was issued a citation for failure to reduce speed, police said.