Boy, 4, struck by vehicle as he emerged from behind parked cars

A 4-year-old remains in critical condition after he was struck by a vehicle near the intersection of Maryland Avenue East and Arkwright Street in St. Paul just before 10 a.m. Friday.

St. Paul Police Department spokesperson Steve Linders tells Fox 9 the accident happened when the boy, out for a walk with his mom and their dogs, darted out into the street from behind parked cars. The driver later told authorities he couldn't see the child until it was too late.

"It was just an accident, and a sad one," Linders says.

After the child was hit, the driver got out of the car to check on him. The driver then called 911 and loaded the mom, victim, and dogs in their car before heading toward the hospital.

The group came across a State Patrol squad near the on ramp to I-35E and got out of the vehicle. There, St. Paul authorities caught up to them and saw the mother "cradling her son in her arms," Linders says.

The boy is currently at Gillette Children's Hospital, where he was treated for a broken pelvis, broken shoulder, and brain swelling.

Linders says the driver wasn't arrested -- no intoxication was detected -- and while an investigation is ongoing, he says nothing criminal is suspected at this time.

"I think what we have here is a kid being a kid," Linders adds.