Driver beaten by bystanders after accidentally hitting child who ran into street

WINONA, Minn. (KMSP) - Police said an 18-year-old pickup truck driver was beaten by bystanders after he accidentally struck a 4-year-old boy who had dashed into the street on Monday in southeast Minnesota.

Officers were dispatched to the area of 7th and Druey Court in Winona around 5 p.m. According to investigators, a 1994 Chevy pickup truck being driven by the teen was traveling southbound on Druey Court when he struck the child who had gone into the lane of traffic, with no crosswalk.

"After the accident, the driver stopped to check on the child and was approached by a group of individuals who subsequently pushed the driver to the ground and started hitting and kicking him," Winona police said.

Based on victim and witness accounts provided, "the number of suspects who assaulted the driver has varied from three individuals to ten individuals," Winona police said.

The child and driver were both taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for their injuries -- the child did not sustain any life-threatening injuries.

The unidentified driver sustained scrapes, contusions and a chipped tooth. His name is being withheld in an attempt to avoid any possible further retaliation, police said.