The end of summer is the time of the year when most parents breathe a sigh of relief; their bored children are back in school once again! No more hearing, “Mom, I'm bored!” or “What can we do for fun today?” Although it is a relief to have children back in school, parents, especially those whose children walk or ride bicycles to school, have to deal with the stress of their children's safety on the way to and from school. From the occurrence of accidents involving students traveling to and from school in just the first week of school in Port Orange, the stress these parents deal with is well founded.
The Port Orange Sheriff's Office reported four children have been struck by motor vehicles since school started last week. A third grader from Spruce Creek Elementary School was hit by a truck this morning while riding her bicycle to school. According to Assistant Chief of Police Wayne Miller, the driver of the truck, Brandy Rose, 33, of Port Orange, attempted a turn onto Spruce Creek Road and struck the young bicyclist in the intersection. When the vehicle and the bicycle collided, the girl was thrown from the bike, with the bike becoming wedged under the truck. The child was transported to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The driver was cited for entering the intersection and not yielding to the bicyclist.
On the first day of school, a New Smyrna Beach High School student was struck, a Spruce Creek student on a bicycle was struck on the second day, and just yesterday, a student at Campbell Middle School was struck while on his way home after school. Police are also investigating two more reports of school-related student/motor vehicle accidents.
All drivers need to take extra precautions around school zones, especially during the first few weeks of school when children are becoming accustomed to new routines. Unfortunately, accidents such as those listed above happen. If your child has been injured in an accident, a Daytona Beach personal injury attorney will not only be able to answer any questions you may have, but will seek the compensation you may be legally entitled to as well.