By Town Crier Staff

A retired Mountain View pediatrician’s decision last week not to fight a hit-and-run charge brought relief and closure for families of the driver and the victim.

George Kirn, 80, pleaded no contest Friday in Santa Clara County court to hitting a 5-year-old boy in Los Altos and leaving the scene. The charge, plea-bargained down to a misdemeanor, resulted in two years’ probation for Kirn and loss of his driver’s license. Kirn also must perform community service and pay restitution.

“Hopefully, this is the end,” said Craig Doeden, the boy’s father. Doeden said the emotional impact still weighed on his family despite his son ’s pulling through with only scratches and bruises in the Feb. 8 incident. He dreaded the possibility of the case dragging on in the courts for months.

According to intial witnesses, Kirn drove into the boy and stopped briefly as bystanders rushed to the boy’s aid. He then drove away, presuming the boy was all right. The boy was taken to a hospital to ensure he was OK.

Kirn pleaded guilty to the hit-and-run charges in April, but changed his plea last month to not guilty when a witness testified that Kirn got out of his car to check on the boy.

However, Kirn’s attorney, Ed Samuels, reportedly said Kirn decided to change his plea again last week because the doctor felt “everybody’s best interests were best served this way in the end.”