The seven-year-old Meander Drive boy struck down by a car outside his home last night is today in a serious condition in the Intensive Care Unit at Auckland's Starship hospital.

The boy suffered critical head injuries when he was hit about 6pm last night and was flown to Auckland at 1am today by the Starship national air ambulance.

Police at the scene of the incident on Meander Drive in Welcome Bay last night.

The hospital's air ambulance service flies top medical experts to life-threatening emergencies around the country. Specialists on board stabilise the children and allow them to be safely flown to Starship.

A group of children were playing the spotlight game about 6pm when a car travelling up Meander Drive struck one of the children crossing the road, says Western Bay of Plenty road policing sergeant Mike Owen.

St John Ambulance arrived at the scene just after 6pm and transported the young boy to Tauranga Hospital.

St John Ambulance district operations manager Jeremy Gooders says the boy sustained a serious head injury.

A Starship Hospital spokesperson this morning said the boy was in a critical but stable condition.

The road was closed until about 9.30pm while they police Serious Crash Unit investigated. They have spoken to the driver and other witnesses.

Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager, Senior Sergeant Ian Campion, says today they are still gathering evidence. No charges have been laid.

A witness at the scene, who did not wish to be named, says there were reports a vehicle was doing burnouts up the road earlier in the evening.

The resident is concerned at the speed of vehicles travelling along Meander Drive and believes speed bumps need to be installed.

The accident happened near the back end of Selwyn Ridge Primary.