A 7-year-old boy died overnight, hours after he was hit by a car while crossing an El Cajon street as his family looked on.

At 3:45 p.m. Thursday, the boy named Angel went to throw a handful of garbage from his family's minivan into a dumpster across the street.

When he turned back to meet his mother and siblings, he walked in front of a gray Hyundai heading westbound in the 900 block of Peach Avenue.

"He crossed the street and all I saw was him, that the car throwed him past and he fell, and I was really sad and crying," his 10-year-old sister Sinay said.

Witnesses said Angel did not notice the car, and the driver did not notice him.

"All I saw was him flying over, then he dropped in front of our car," said Marreilla Ronquillo.

The force of the impact left a large dent in the hood of the car. Angel was taken to the hospital for serious injuries where he was listed in critical condition, police say.

In an early morning update, El Cajon Police said the child was pronounced dead at 12:40 a.m. Friday.

The 18-year-old male driver of the car pulled over but did not get out when he first hit the boy.

"Shock," said Susan Ronquillo, Marreilla's mother. " He did not move anything, just stayed inside, maybe until police arrived. He is still in the car."

Police said the driver has cooperated fully with investigators and was released without charges, pending an investigation. However, his car has been impounded. Speed and alcohol do not appear to be factors, according to police.

El Cajon Police said the driver lives in the same neighborhood as the child and was on his way to work when the collision occurred.

El Cajon police say officers arrived so quickly, bystanders initially thought the incident was a police pursuit and reported it to 911. Investigators later determined police were not involved in the crash. Peach Avenue was closed between Peach Court and Mollison Avenue until about 7:30 p.m.