Police go above and beyond for San Leandro boy injured in crash

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) -- A 10-year old San Leandro boy is lucky to be alive Thursday, two days after being hit by a car while walking his bike in a crosswalk in San Leandro.

Orion Benson was on the way to Washington Elementary School when the accident happened Tuesday morning.

Benson's mother, Sandy saw emergency lights down the street.

"And I knew," Sandy Benson said as she teared up. "I knew right then in the pit of my stomach, it was him."

Officer Chris Albert was down the street and heard the call for a possible fatal crash.

"As I run towards him, he comes to and he starts to cry and scream," Albert said. "Which is the best sound I could hear."

Police said Benson was thrown 30 feet, right out of his shoes. The boy's bike helmet saved his life.

"This could have been us. It could have been our kid," Officer Albert said. "What I wear is just a uniform and when I go home I'm dad, I'm a husband, I'm a neighbor. I'm just Chris."

That is what spurred what happened next.

Albert escorted the ambulance through rush hour traffic down 580 to get to Oakland Children's Hospital.

"He didn't leave until Orion went into surgery," Benson recalled. She says the San Leandro police officers who were there Tuesday have visited her son in the hospital several times.

"They are awesome! That's only the tip of the iceberg," said Benson.

The officers also chipped in to buy Orion new clothes to replace the ones they had to cut off him at the accident scene. They brought a goodie bag of treats and a life-size teddy bear.

Benson said officers shared one more surprise gift they have for her son.

"What he doesn't know is the officers also bought him a bike and a helmet," she told KTVU.

"So when he's ready," Albert explained. "He's got a new bike to ride to school."

Orion is expected to make a full recovery.

"Tuesday was the worst day of my life. I was so overwhelmed by all the horrible things going on," said an emotional Benson. "Now I'm overwhelmed by all the good things going on."

Albert said he and he fellow officers just felt compelled to help.

"We wanted to do something we hoped somebody would do for us," said Albert.

There's a GoFundMe page set up to help with Orion Benson's medical bills. On Thursday he was still in the ICU and is expected to be in the hospital for at least a week.