A South Lakes High School student was struck by a car this morning while he crossed the street on the way to school, Fairfax County police and Fairfax County Public Schools have confirmed.
According to FCPD, the driver of a vehicle struck a 16-year-old student. Officers responded to the scene just before 8 a.m. The student was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries, and the driver has been charged with Failure to Stop Before Entering a Highway.
This incident came in the midst of a heated debate about the need for crossing guards at high schools. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted in the spring to eliminate funding for all high school crossing guards.
South Lakes was one of the nine high schools impacted. However, FCPD noted that the pedestrian was not in a crosswalk and was not in a location that had ever had a crossing guard.
FCPS said in a statement that this incident “serves as a reminder of the critical importance of having crossing guards and other traffic and pedestrian safety measures at our high schools.” The district said that it has requested that the county restore crossing guards to the schools “with the greatest safety concerns,” including South Lakes.
Concerned About the Lack of Crossing Guards
Many parents have been vocal since school began about the dangerous traffic around South Lakes without a crossing guard.
School Board member Melanie Meren said that this incident raised concerns about the lack of crossing guards. She posted a video of the aftermath of the crash on YouTube.
“This happened because the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the County Executive’s budget that cut high school crossing guards using the justification that we were the only local jurisdiction that had them,” Meren wrote in a Facebook post.
“If you’re as outraged as I am, call and write Chairman Jeff McKay, as well as your magisterial supervisor, and tell them to restore high school crossing guards NOW!” Meren continued.
McKay’s office has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity addressed the crossing guards issue in a Facebook post. “Today Supervisor Bierman and I asked the County Executive to immediately reinstate crossing guards at the schools where the police department has identified significant issues while the Board considers my motion to reinstate them at certain high schools,” he wrote. “This comes following a week of issues with kids getting to school safely, news that a student was hit this morning at South Lakes High School and residents doing what they can to address the issues.”
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
