A 12-year-old girl was struck by a pickup truck Wednesday morning on her way to middle school in Aurora, police said.
On only the third day of the school year, the 12-year-old and her parents ended up in the hospital.
The middle schooler — who was commuting to school with friends — was riding an electric scooter in the crosswalk at the intersection of South Harvest and Orchard roads when she was hit by a turning pickup truck, Aurora Police Department spokesperson Joe Moylan said.
The crash happened less than a mile south of Infinity Middle School, near the edge of Aurora’s Pomeroy and Wheatlands neighborhoods.
“Just pay attention,” traffic officials with the police department said in a post reminding drivers that school is back in session. “You’re in a school zone, you know there’s going to be kids present. Look around, be vigilant and if you’re driving at a safe speed you’ll be able to stop before there’s any kind of accident.”
Class is in session! 🏫
Our Traffic Section reminds families and kids to Stop, Look, and Listen when making their way to and from school.
We also remind drivers to be aware of their surroundings, follow traffic laws, and keep an eye out for signs that announce school zones.… pic.twitter.com/CJQMsh1VOv
— Aurora Police Dept (@AuroraPD) August 7, 2024
Aurora officers responded to the Wednesday crash around 9 a.m. and paramedics took the 12-year-old to the hospital with minor injuries around 9:20 a.m., Moylan said. No other students were injured.
The driver stayed at the scene and crash investigators are working to determine what exactly happened, Moylan said.
“School is in session and that means added traffic volume in neighborhoods and around schools as buses and parents commute their students,” Colorado State Patrol officials said in a news release.
Wednesday’s crash happened about a mile south of the middle school — outside of the official school safety zone — but CSP officials said that crashes aren’t less common inside the zone.
Inside school safety zones, crashes — involving both cars and pedestrians — happen three times as often during pick-up and drop-off hours, CSP officials said in the release. Drivers need to be aware during the morning rush that they’re not the only ones on the road.
“Kids deserve extra caution,” CSP chief and Col. Matthew Packard stated in the release. “Exercising patience in school zones is critical as it takes only seconds for a tragedy to happen. Drivers need to stay alert and plan for congested neighborhood streets around our schools.”
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