CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Only weeks after a 15-year-old student was killed at a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools bus stop, another young girl was injured Tuesday morning when police said a driver passed a stopped school bus. The girl was grazed by the side mirror of the car.
The incident led CMS to release a statement urging drivers to look out for children.
Channel 9 was at the intersection of Kimmerly Glen Lane and Kenway Boulevard when an ambulance was taking the child to the hospital. A gold Toyota Corolla was parked on the curb and its sideview mirror dangling against the passenger door.
Channel 9 counted seven school buses stopping at the apartment complex that afternoon to drop off students. There are a lot of children who live in the complex and residents said it's not the first time they've seen someone pass a stopped bus.
"I'll be honest. I see it all the time," resident Dequina Lee said. "I don't know what it is, but it's an ongoing thing and now it just needs to be addressed."
On March 27, Zoe Deen, 15, was hit and killed on Youngblood Road in Steele Creek when she ran across the street to catch the school bus she had just missed.
CMS officials moved that bus stop several hundred yards to make it safer.
Parents said they don't trust drivers to pay attention and some want CMS officials to look at other options for where they pick up and drop off children.
"I don't know if they need to start thinking about safer places, like pulling in the actual complex, to prevent some of these things," Lee said.
The girl who was injured Tuesday morning went to the hospital with bruises and a sprained ankle.
CMS statement:
“Our kids need us to keep school bus stop safety top of mind across Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
The safety and well-being of students and staff are top priorities for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools at all times. In the wake of a recent tragic accident leading to the loss of a young student and now this morning's incident in which a student was grazed by a car while walking to a stopped school bus with safety arm out and lights on, CMS reminds drivers across the community that safety of students is a responsibility we all share.
Drivers and passengers in all vehicles should always be aware of and look out for students and school buses at bus stops and while in transit. Drivers should ensure their vehicles are ready for safe travel before traveling with windows clear and good visibility, should not text while driving, and should always be mindful that our community's kids need us to be focused drivers to help keep them safe. The district will continue to work with students and drivers on school bus safety, and CMS asks parents to talk with their students, review school bus stop safety, look both ways before crossing streets and encourage caution every day.
CMS will work with law enforcement to support aggressive investigation of and maximum penalties for vehicle-related incidents that threaten the safety of students and staff.
The thoughts of all educators, staff and leaders of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are with the families and school communities affected by recent bus stop incidents and we call on the community to help keep all our students safe."