A 10-year-old boy was in serious condition Thursday after being hit by a vehicle on a congested stretch of roadway on the North Shore used by tourists stopping to view sea turtles.

Ocean Safety personnel rushed to the aid of the boy, who was struck at Laniakea, also known as Turtle Beach.

The boy was crossing Kamehameha Highway at about 2:30 p.m. Thursday when he was hit.

Witnesses said the child flew about 10 to 15 feet before landing in the roadway, Honolulu Emergency Services Department spokeswoman Shayne Enright said in an email.

Ocean Safety personnel provided medical treatment, taking spinal injury precautions.

Emergency Medical Services provided advanced lifesaving treatment and transported the boy in serious condition to a hospital.

Laniakea Beach has generated controversy due to concerns over parking along the mauka side of the highway and pedestrians, who haphazardly cross the highway with no crosswalks to view the turtles as they rest on the sand.

Residents have complained that the large number of pedestrians crossing the road at Laniakea slows traffic in both directions for miles and creates a dangerous situation for visitors and drivers.