Boy hit by car is improving

A 7-year-old bicyclist who suffered serious head injuries after colliding with a car a month ago is now walking and talking.

The boy, who had been in a coma and in critical condition, was on a respirator until two weeks ago. Although he breathed on his own after being taken off the respirator, he was still unconscious. Now he's awake and recovering.

Prayers have been answered, said Senior Dep. Rick Godfrey.

The boy was taken by ambulance to Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center in Thousand Oaks at about 2:20 p.m. on May 30 before being airlifted to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles after he was struck by a car driven by Reina Linares, 49, of Newbury Park.

The woman was driving no faster than the 25 mph speed limit at Calle Turquesa and Paseo La Perla in Newbury Park when her car struck the boy and his 20-inch bicycle, according to traffic Sgt. Robert Fleming.

The neighborhood is off Hillcrest Drive and is made up of condominiums on a series of cul-de-sacs.

"The driver had no time to react. It was an unfortunate event. There is no way the driver could've prevented it," Fleming said.

The child's parents were nearby and immediately at the scene, Fleming said.

—Nancy Needham