A 12-year-old was taken to hospital with serious injuries after being hit by a car.

The air ambulance was scrambled and Carden Avenue, Brighton was closed yesterday lunchtime, after the youngster was hit by a Mercedes.

Last night a police spokesman said the boy’s injuries were serious but not life threatening. He added that no arrests had been made.

Colin Brand, 45, was working in his driveway in the road at 12.30pm when he heard a skid and a bang.

He said: “I rushed over and saw him lying there. Initially I thought it was my son because he had the same colour top.

“He was unconscious to start with and I feared the worst. After a minute he came round and I tried to comfort him and tell him everything was OK.

“He started trying to move and he was clearly in a lot of pain.”

The emergency services were called and the police and paramedics were on the scene within minutes. The air ambulance landed in Carden Park.

The female driver of the car, a black Mercedes C200 Kompressor, is understood to have had her own child in the back when she hit the boy.

Mr Brand added: “She was clearly in shock. She was worried about her own child and she kept saying: ‘He came out of nowhere’.

“We invited her in to calm down while it was all going on outside.”

“There was quite a bit of blood but he was a lot better by the time the paramedics were here. Fingers crossed he is going to be OK.”

After a road ambulance had taken the boy to the Royal Sussex County Hospital – the air ambulance was not required – Mr Brand helped police redirect traffic as they cleared the scene.

The Mercedes had a dent in the front of the bonnet and grill.

A Sussex Police spokesman said the boy was taken to hospital with at least one of his parents.

The road was open to traffic again shortly after 2pm.