A child was struck by a vehicle while walking to school in south DeKalb County Tuesday morning, police said.

Dekalb police spokeswoman Mekka Parish told the AJC the 10-year-old boy trying to cross Panola Road on his way to nearby Panola Way Elementary School when he was hit just after 7 a.m.

Parish said that witnesses told police that the boy was in a crosswalk when he stepped in front of a sport utlitiy vehicle at Panola Way Lane.

The boy, whose name has not been released, was taken to a local hospital in critical condition, Parish said.

The driver of the SUV stopped after the accident, Parish said. She said investigators had not yet determined whether the driver would be charged.

Panola Road was blocked during much of the morning commute while police investigated the accident.