Renton Girl Hit In Crosswalk To Get Back-To-School Welcome

RENTON, WA - A Renton 3rd grader who was hit by a truck and critically injured in April will receive a special back-to-school welcome this week. Police and firefighters will line the streets near Benson Hill Elementary to ensure the girl can walk safely to school.

On April 18, the girl and her mother were crossing a crosswalk in a school zone near Benson Hill Elementary, and both suffered serious injuries. A woman driving a pickup truck hit them while turning a corner at the intersection of 116th Avenue Southeast and Southeast 184th Street. Police reported that the driver stopped at a stop sign, but then turned into the crosswalk where the mother and child were walking.

The girl was taken to Harborview and had multiple surgeries. She was never able to return to school.

On the first day of school in Renton on Aug. 29, police from Renton and Washington State Patrol, Renton firefighters, and Renton school personnel will line the street as the 3rd grader makes her return to school.

"This event serves as an opportunity for all of these agencies to show their support for the family and the young girl as they continue to recover from the crash. It also serves as a reminder that school is starting back in Renton, and the surrounding cities in Washington. All of these agencies want to highlight the importance of safe driving in and around school zones," WSP spokesman Trooper Rick Johnson wrote in a press release. "It’s imperative that drivers exercise extra caution, and eliminate all distractions as they drive around students and families walking to/from school. It’s everyone’s goal to keep these kinds of life changing events from happening again in our local communities."

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