CENTERBURG — A 17-year-old Centerburg High School student is charged with reckless operation after he allegedly swerved to hit another student in the school parking lot on Tuesday, according to sheriff’s reports.
The report states that Travis L. Mayer appeared to be “playing chicken” with a group of track runners in the parking lot. The 16-year-old victim told deputies that Mayer “swerved at some of the runners before driving toward the group I was running with.” The victim added that he was “hit too quick to leap away and took much of the force of the car into his shins.”
“I flew off the hood and landed on the ground, striking my right elbow,” the victim said in his statement.
Mayer allegedly failed to stop after the collision and drove away from the scene, according to witnesses.
The victim received minor injuries to his shins and right elbow; he was treated at the scene and released.
At least seven other students running with the group agreed that Mayer allegedly swerved his car at the kids.
“He was [driving] relatively fast for a parking lot,” one student said in a statement.
Mayer gave a statement to deputies later that day.
“They all ran around the car and then some kid pushed the other kid into my car. I got waved on then kept going. I called later to see if the kid was all right,” he said in his statement.
One of two students in the car with Mayer at the time told deputies the victim was actually pushed into the path of the vehicle.
A court date has not yet been set for Mayer.
