Palatine HS cross country runner struck by car

PALATINE, Ill. (WLS) -- A Palatine High School cross country runner is in serious but stable condition after he was allegedly struck by a car while jogging in a crosswalk with teammates, police said.

Ryan Kissane, 18, was jogging northbound crossing Palatine Road near Rohlwing Road around 6:45 a.m. Thursday when a 2000 Chevy Camaro turned left into his path from Rohlwing Road, police said.

Officials say the student was knocked to the ground and transported to Lutheran General Hospital with severe head trauma. The 39-year-old driver of the Chevy was uninjured.

The accident shut down part of Rohlwing for a time, diverting motorists and buses from other nearby schools.

"When I came in at a quarter to 7 a.m., the response vehicles were already at the intersection of Rohlwing and Palatine, so it impacted staff coming in and it impacted students being dropped off," said Rene Carranza, Winston Campus Junior High principal.

The driver has been cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk and for having an obstructed windshield due to frost, police said.

"It was determined that this was the leading cause of this accident, was that his view was impaired because his windshield wasn't completely cleared off of the frost," said Cmdr. Mike Seebacher, Palatine police.

Palatine police hope motorists will be reminded by this incident to take precautions this winter.

"The few seconds that you'll save rushing off without clearing your windshield could cost somebody else their life or serious injury," Seebacher said.