HIGHTSTOWN — A 13-year-old middle school student is dead after he was hit by a car while riding his bicycle.

Hightstown police said the victim was hit around 9 p.m. Friday at the intersection of West Ward Street and Mercer Street. The teenager was only identified as a student at Melvin H. Kreps Middle School and a Hightstown resident.

When officers arrived at the scene, the boy was unconscious. He had suffered "severe trauma to the body and head," according to police.

As they waited for EMS to arrive, the victim went into cardiac arrest and the officers began performing CPR. Paramedics soon got to the scene and transported him to Capital Health Trauma Center in Trenton.

The teenager was pronounced dead at 10:20 p.m., police said.

Police said an investigation found that the crash was accidental. A vehicle was making a left turn from Mercer Street onto West Ward Street when it struck the boy as he rode his bike across the street.

The driver was identified by police as Kathryn Wagner, of East Windsor. She stayed at the scene to cooperate and was later issued a traffic summons for careless driving, police said.

Melvin H. Kreps school personnel were informed about the fatal crash so they could prepare any services for students, according to police.

East Windsor Superintendent Mark Daniels confirmed in a letter to the district community that the victim was an eighth grader at the middle school. He called the loss "devastating."

"This is deeply heartbreaking news and our thoughts and prayers go out to this student’s family and friends," Daniels said.

Daniels said that school counselors and members from the Mercer County Traumatic Loss Coalition would be available to students on Monday.

Rick Rickman is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at richard.rickman@townsquaremedia.com

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