**Man Arrested on Suspicion of Drug Driving After 11-Year-Old Boy Hit by Car in Risca**
An 11-year-old boy was left needing hospital treatment after being struck by a car in a residential area of Risca, Caerphilly, prompting a swift police response and an arrest on suspicion of drug driving.
The incident occurred on Gelli Avenue at approximately 3:30pm on Thursday, 15th May, when a red Kia Ceed collided with the young pedestrian. Emergency services attended the scene promptly, and the boy was transported to hospital. Authorities later confirmed that the child’s injuries, whilst significant, were not believed to be life-threatening.
Officers from Gwent Police arrested a 45-year-old man from the area at the scene. He stands accused of driving under the influence of drugs and of causing injury through careless or inconsiderate driving. Following his arrest, the suspect has since been released under investigation while police continue to piece together what transpired in the moments leading up to and during the collision.
Eyewitness accounts suggest that the immediate aftermath was chaotic, with at least one man reported to have rushed into a nearby doctor’s surgery on Park Road to seek help, highlighting the shock and concern among local residents. While the precise circumstances remain under review, the case has rekindled community anxieties about traffic safety and the risks posed by impaired drivers.
A spokesperson for Gwent Police sought to reassure the public in a statement: “We received a report of a road traffic collision on Gelli Avenue, Risca, at around 3.30pm on Thursday 15 May. The collision involved a red Kia Ceed and a pedestrian, an 11-year-old boy. The boy was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. At the scene, officers arrested the driver of the Kia Ceed, a 45-year-old man, on suspicion of driving a vehicle while unfit through drugs and causing injury by careless or inconsiderate driving. He has been released under investigation as enquiries continue.”
Police are now actively seeking further information and have called on anyone who witnessed the incident or who may have dashcam or CCTV footage to step forward. Members of the public with relevant information are encouraged to contact Gwent Police by calling 101 and quoting log number 2500153360.
In the wake of the collision, local parents and community leaders have voiced renewed calls for measures to improve pedestrian safety in the area, particularly around busy roads used by children on their way to and from school. Road traffic incidents involving young pedestrians are a matter of constant concern in communities across Wales, and calls for stricter enforcement of road safety laws remain a national talking point.
The investigation remains ongoing, with officers working meticulously to establish whether drugs played a factor in the driver’s ability to safely control his vehicle at the time of the crash. Drug-driving offences carry significant legal consequences, not only because of the risks posed to drivers themselves but also to others sharing the roads.
Meanwhile, the 11-year-old boy continues to recover in hospital, and his family is being supported by local authorities during this distressing time.
As the investigation continues, the focus remains firmly on ensuring all facts are gathered, and those involved are held to account if found to be at fault. The incident serves as a sobering reminder of the potential consequences when drivers get behind the wheel under the influence, and the importance of community vigilance in reporting dangerous behaviours on the road.