Traffic & Transit
Student Hit By Car On The Way To School In Stafford: Police
A 15-year-old girl in Stafford County suffered serious injuries when she was hit by a car as she tried to get to Stafford High School.
STAFFORD COUNTY, VA — A 15-year-old girl was hit by a car on Tuesday, Aug. 16. She is currently receiving treatment at a hospital with serious injuries that are not considered life-threatening, according to the Stafford County Sheriff's Office.
The crash occurred at the intersection of Leeland Road and Amherst Avenue around 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 16. The road was shut down for about an hour and a half as the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Safety Unit investigated the incident.
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"The investigation has revealed a 15-year-old female student attempted to cross Leeland Road to Amherst Avenue to get a ride to school with an acquaintance," the sheriff's office said. "Unfortunately, she stepped into the path of a Ford Focus which was travelling southbound on Leeland Road and was struck."
The driver of the Focus stopped at the scene and called 911, authorities said.
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The girl's injuries are considered serious, but not life-threatening. No charges are being filed in connection with the crash, police said.
A GoFundMe has been established to help the girl and her family as she begins her recovery. The page has raised more than $30,000 towards a $40,000 goal.
The fundraiser's organizer claimed that the girl needed a ride from a friend after her school bus failed to arrive. "This accident should have never happened," the organizer wrote. "If there wasn't a shortage of buses she would have been on her bus and in school."
Stafford County schools reopened earlier this month, but the return to classrooms has been plagued by transportation issues. Parents around the county said their students have been left waiting for more than an hour for a bus that never came. Others were told they needed to pick their student up from school, since a bus was not available.
On Facebook, representatives of the Stafford County Sheriff's Office urged drivers to be extra cautious as students return to school.
"Please continue to keep this young lady and her family in your thoughts and prayers during her recovery," the sheriff's office wrote.
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