12-year-old hit by car, dies

A 12-year-old boy died after he was struck by a car as he tried to run across U.S. Highway 19 N in Clearwater.

Authorities said Giovanni Tejamanic and several of his friends had just left Celebration Station, a popular hang-out known for its pizza, video games and go-carts, at about 11 p.m. Saturday when he was hit by a 2005 Ford traveling southbound.

The children, who were unsupervised, were trying to get to the Southern Comfort Mobile Home Park where they live. Tejamanic, suffering from massive head and internal injuries, was taken by ambulance to Morton Plant Hospital. He later was flown to All Children’s Hospital where he died at about 3 a.m. Sunday.

Police say there is no indication that the driver, 41-year-old Robert H. Doan of Orlando, was speeding at the time or that alcohol was a factor in the crash.

--Mike Donila, Times staff writer