A 65-year-old man was seriously injured when he was attacked after confronting a group of teens who had blocked the road in Waverly.

A 17-year-old teen has been arrested in the attack Sunday on Pearl Street, according to police.

Officers learned cars were unable to travel along the street because four youths were walking spread out across the street to block traffic, Chief Dave Searcy said Monday.

The 65-year-old motorist went around the group by driving onto the curb.

The driver said something to the group about getting off the road and he and the youths started exchanging words, prompting the man to get out of his car and approach the youths.

“”Again, words were exchanged and it appeared that one of the boys was pushed down and another boy then struck the man in the face, knocking the man down,”” Searcy said.

The man suffered what Searcy said were significant injuries and was taken to St. John’s Hospital in Springfield for treatment.

“”When he was struck, he went down and hit the ground. We believe there are some leg and hip injuries,”” Searcy said.

All four of the teens — the 17-year-old, an 18-year-old, a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old — were questioned. The 17-yea-old was the only one charged. He was arrested on a preliminary charge of aggravated battery of a senior citizen and taken to the Morgan County Jail .

In Illinois, 17-year-olds are considered juveniles unless charged with a felony, so the teen’s name is being withheld pending the filing of formal charges.