An 11-year-old girl was hit by a car Wednesday morning on her way to school, suffering a skull fracture that will require hospitalization..
The girl’s identity was not released, and her condition was unknown Wednesday night. The girl was taken to Mercy Regional Medical Center and was scheduled to be flown to a different hospital for observations, but it was unknown if she was transferred, and, if so, where to.
According to a preliminary investigation, traffic was heavily backed up at 8 a.m. at 25th Street and West Second Avenue, when the incident occurred, said Durango police Sgt. Rita Warfield.
The driver, in a 2003 Lincoln LS, had an obstructed view as a result of stopped eastbound traffic in the 100 block of West 25th Street. As the driver made a turn, the 11-year-old girl ran across the crosswalk heading east and was struck by the vehicle.
Warfield said witnesses on scene saw the girl run through traffic instead of waiting on the sidewalk. Warfield could not confirm whether the girl was traveling to school alone or with her parents.
Warfield said the injury did not appear to be life-threatening.
“When they’re that young, you have to keep an eye on (head injuries),” Warfield said.
Warfield said that particular intersection gets congested during the morning as people are heading to school. The intersection is not typically a high-incident area, but with all the children coming and going, accidents do occur, she said.
The intersection is close to Needham Elementary, Miller Middle School and Durango High School.
“Usually, traffic stops for kids getting ready to cross, but if a child darts out in front of traffic unintentionally, trying to get to the other side, sometimes the drivers just don’t have enough time to react,” Warfield said. “We just would encourage parents, if a child walks to school alone, to be sure and have their children make sure all traffic has stopped before preceding.”
The identify of the child has not been released. Warfield said the driver of the vehicle was not cited.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
