Driver Hits And Kills 13-Year-Old Crossing Street in Front of High School

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A 13-year-old crossing Rockaway Parkway to attend Canarsie High School was hit and killed this morning. Image: ##http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=rockaway+parkway+and+avenue+k&sll=40.677937,-73.91151&sspn=0.008364,0.019205&gl=us&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Rockaway+Pkwy+%26+Avenue+K,+Brooklyn,+Kings,+New+York+11236&ll=40.640661,-73.897305&spn=0.016706,0.038495&z=15&layer=c&cbll=40.640588,-73.897241&panoid=OaVDIwUqbTJxk8vIp2lTSw&cbp=12,277.87,,0,5.52##Google Street View.##

A driver struck and killed a 13-year-old girl this morning, apparently as she tried to walk to school. The driver, a male in his 40s, hit the victim on Rockaway Parkway at 7:50 this morning, according to the NYPD. She was pronounced dead at Brookdale Hospital.

The victim was likely on her way to attend Canarsie High School, according to a report in the Daily News. She was crossing mid-block on a path to the school’s front door when the driver struck her. The school, which is in the process of being closed by the Department of Education, has an enrollment of 881 students.

After hitting the student, the driver swerved into a parked car on the side of the road. The driver stayed at the scene until he was taken to Brookdale for trauma treatment, according to the police. NYPD has not filed charges.

  • Mike

    DOT proposed to install traffic calming (in the form of bike lanes) on this street, but was shot down by the local Community Board and local electeds. This 13-year-old’s blood is now on their hands.

  • ryan

    “This 13-year-old’s blood is now on their hands.”

    She was crossing mid-block

  • Agreed. Death is an appropriate consequence for a 13-year-old crossing the street mid-block.

  • dporpentine

    Ryan:
    Look at that block. Look how long it is. Go to the Google Street View version and follow it down. That’s a huge block.

    I’m no fan of jaywalking, but a block that length all but forces it on people, especially children. And then consider that it’s in front of a school. It’s unconscionable that there aren’t–at a bare minimum–traffic bumps and a mid-block crosswalk along that part of the road.

    A tragedy. And clearly one that people tried to prevent.

  • Driver

    This is a tragedy. I don’t want to take away from that, and I don’t think it is unreasonable to cross mid block either. There are no winners in this situation.
    However, it should be noted that some high school kids (and sometime adults also) do not use any caution or common sense when crossing or entering traffic. Driving near any school, but particularly a high school is very hazardous because there are always some kids who think they are invincible and they can just walk into traffic when they want to regardless of what is coming, and expect everyone to stop for them. I have seen it happen, and have been forced to a stop by people who seem to have no respect for their own safety. It is also common to see people crossing while texting or talking and not paying any attention to traffic. I have even seen kids cross underneath a tractor trailer that was backing into a loading dock on Irving Pl. Some people do stupid and dangerous things. A little caution, common sense, and respect for 2 ton moving vehicles can go a long way in preventing tragedies.

  • Omri

    “However, it should be noted that some high school kids (and sometime adults also) do not use any caution or common sense when crossing or entering traffic”

    Our species is one of bald apes that take a long time to mature – longer than gorillas or chimps. This is why we designate our young as “minors” and treat them leniently for breaking the rules of our society, and take measures to protect them from their immaturity.

    One of those measures is this thing called a “school zone,” and last I heard the law is that you have to slow down when you drive through one of those, specifically because of the likelihood of hitting a stupid immature bald ape.

    The kid died. Ergo the driver was speeding. The DA is being derelict if he doesn’t press charges.

  • Driver

    “The kid died. Ergo the driver was speeding.”
    That is not a valid conclusion. Someone could be hit at 5 or 10 mph, fall and hit their head on the pavement causing fatal injuries. The driver does not have to be speeding for an accident to be fatal.

  • Driver

    Looking at the picture in the Daily News, it seems likely that the driver was likely speeding.

  • mike

    Tragic story. I used to live a block away from two schools – an elementary and high school. You had to expect the unexpected and drive with extreme caution. Kids run into traffic – they’re not always aware of their surroundings. The Post reports that the driver failed to stop for a bus with a stop sign.

    http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/brooklyn_teen_struck_way_out_school_luwazd03v3WHdL0c2qWOnJ

  • Omri

    “Someone could be hit at 5 or 10 mph, fall and hit their head on the pavement causing fatal injuries”

    And I could be sleeping with a Victoria’s Secret model. At 5-10 MPH, it is extremeley unlikely for a 13 year old to be badly hurt, let alone killed. Senior citizens die in those incidents. Not young kids.

    “She was hit by a BMW driven by a man in his 40s, cops said. The vehicle then struck a parked Nissan causing a chain reaction that damaged at least three other parked cars.”

    Seems he had a lot of momentum to put into the kid if it could push a chain of three parked cars. In a school zone. How many kids have to die before our police start upholding the law??

  • chris mcnally

    This is an awful tragedy. I feel very bad for the family.

    There is a school on my block too, also mid block, and students and their parents cross mid block to get to the school. It seems to me that if a school is located mid block then there should be ‘neck downs’, a stop sign or speed bumps to prevent this kind of thing. Every street is not the BQE and students should not have to cross in front of cars moving > 20 mph.

    On my block there are speed bumps near the school, however I don’t think it’s enough. The students deserve a very safe crossing to school.

  • Where is it written that every block of every street has to be fully available for motor vehicle use at all hours? Who benefits from the way things are set up now? Certainly not schoolchildren.

  • Omri

    “Where is it written that every block of every street has to be fully available for motor vehicle use at all hours?”

    Fire codes.

  • Kevin

    The driver had to have been speeding.

  • “I have even seen kids cross underneath a tractor trailer that was backing into a loading dock on Irving Pl.”

    Why is there a tractor trailer allowed on Irving Place? It seems that federal policy mandates these oversized vehicles in our cities because they are ok for the interstates. Maybe there needs to be special right-sized trucks for urban deliveries.

  • Omri, do you have a specific citation? The NFPA codes generally discuss buildings, not streets.

  • Omri

    Jonathan, the standard for street widths in most planning codes around the country is wide enough that two fire trucks can go in opposite directions. other commenters may know the chapter and verse for New York, but as a matter of policy, fire truck access is THE reason this rule gets embedded in codes all over the place.

  • 15 mph speed limit around schools while they are in session, or at least during 30 min. before first bell, 30 min. after last bell and lunchtime.

  • That’s not a street. That’s a shooting gallery.

  • hsmp student

    dis is so sad because she went to my school and she was so yung…y did dis hve 2 happen?

  • HSMPStudent too

    Our princepal is actually blaming himself for this young girl’s death. BTW she attended High school for medical professions which is located in Carnasie Campus. We believe that the girl was rushing to get to school. I actually saw it happen she was walking in front of me before making a detour to the store to drop off her phone. I was about 3 cars ahead from the 3rd car that was smashed into when i heard the crash and went running there was an explosion of some sort. I also noticed her shoe flew off. It’s a tragic accident that was not taken lightly. We are planning many events in her honor, Sarah was loved by many and her death will not be easily forgotten.

  • Omri

    HSMPStudent, this was not an accident. The driver did not accidentally decide to ignore the school bus stop sign. And he did not accidentally decide to speed. He knew he was by a high school, and he knew that high school students often run across the road because they’re so afraid of getting a tardy mark for the day. He chose to put you kids in danger. And I hope he is held moore responsiblee for this.

  • Cor

    This tragedy could have been prevented in more ways then one….1st I have a child who gets on the bus in front of our house every morning if you could see the things “DRIVERS” do to get around the bus you would be amazed …God forbid you have to courteous of those who are not fortunate enough to be able to lead a NORMALlife like them..2nd CROSSWALKS>???? What is that ? Well where I come from in Canada when you see someone standing in one a vehicle is suppose to STOP!!! Not in Brooklyn not even the Police bother to stop and let you cross..COURTESY PEOPLE….3rd there are traffic lights on both ends of the school where this young lady was attending if only she had of walked to the corner but life is so rushed here we are always in a hurry to get where we are going. Teach yourself and your children safety has to come first ,,,,I pray for the family and friends of this young lady and I pray that the man responsible has to pay the piper.. SAD but maybe New Yorkers will wake up and learn to have a little bit more consideration for others

  • HSMP Student

    I saw it happen, it was not her fault. The driver came SPEEEEEDING down on her, and her head split open. She was trying to get to school, if the driver was aware he obviously didn’t care. It’s gonna be such a quiet day without her, she was so outgoing and had a good spirit. I’ll surely miss her. :'(

  • “Safety First!” needs to address causes, rather than symptoms. This means less cars, slower speeds and narrower streets, rather than detours for crosswalks, helmets and ugly reflective/bright clothing.

  • Miriam

    What a sad story. I am always amazed how very little is done to manage traffic in front of schools in this city. Just recently the tree in front of our school fell down and as a result the school stopped all thru traffic except the school buses from going by the front of the school.

    Than a light bulb lit up in the school administrators heads and they know have continued this policy during the times the kids are let out from school.

    Duh.

    But it took a tree falling down to get them to use their brains…

  • Miriam

    I guess my point is more can be done to make possible and encourage safer driving. I’, a little uncomfortable about demonizing and criminalizing all drivers who get in an accident.

  • I guess it’s okay to murder schoolkids if you’re an Audi owner who’s really Jonesing for that early-morning Cinnabonn. Don’t forget your iPhone—you wouldn’t want anything to come between you and your mission to play “Farmville” while murdering schoolkids…
    These murderers should be punished accordingly to their crimes.

  • dporpentine

    Yes, Miriam, more can be done. In the meantime, drivers need to calm down, not speed, and maybe even take on themselves the responsibility of being safer than the signs demand that they be. I do that on my bike. It’s even easier in a car.

    And it’s not an “accident” if Mr. BMW was speeding and ignored a stop signal from a bus. It’s manslaughter. And I for one am ready to demonize and criminalize manslaughter.

    At least now I understand what made the folks in Williamsburg remove the motor vehicle lanes on Bedford–all the cars ignoring school buses. Oh wait, no. That was the bike lane they took away . . .

  • BicyclesOnly

    In Manhattan (and perhaps elsewhere) the sad truth is that many parents would oppose stricter regulation of motor vehicles around schools, because so many parents drive their kids and valuee an efficient drop-off over increased safety. My son and I see this every morning on the Upper East and West Sides biking to school in the morning. Parents double and even triple park, unload their little kids into the street, and drive off, without any signalling and often using handhelds throughout the maneuver (and especially as they pull out into traffic after the kid is gone).

  • Brooklyn

    “Driver” is a very subtle troll, because that opinion is a typical – and stupid – defense of the circumstances and incident. This was clearly criminally negligent.

  • Driver

    Brooklyn,
    Why am I a subtle troll, because you don’t agree with my opinion?
    My opinion was not a defense of this incident, but a general statement based on my real life observations. There does appear to be criminal negligence in this case, and it will be a terrible injustice if it is not prosecuted.
    Unfortunately no punishment, no matter how harsh will bring back the victim. That is why it is so important to be defensive and pay attention to our surroundings when faced with situations that can potentially be harmful or fatal. We can’t count on others to always do the right or safe thing, we have to do what we can to protect ourselves from other peoples negligence.

  • capt subway

    In incident after incident, week after week, month after month, year after year, it’s quite clear the NYPD doesn’t give a shit about this sort of thing. Fact is, if you want to kill somebody, don’t shoot ’em or stab ’em or strangle ’em or whatever, because you could get into serious trouble that way. Just run ’em over with a car. The odds are you’ll go scott free, no questions asked.

  • From the Post:

    The distraught pal said a passing school-bus driver had spotted the girls trying to cross the street, and put out its stop sign to help them make it safely to the other side, but the BMW “kept going.”

    The car’s driver, Mohamed Diakite, 35, of Philadelphia, has not been charged, sources said.

    Police said there was no evidence of criminality.

    Funny, that sure sounds like “evidence of criminality” to me.

  • hold on..how bout a school speed signs & bumps wat happen to dat .? because it is a school right.? were is that at isnt any.? the driver i fault him the speed he was doing had to be at a high rank..& that is my lil sister friend its alot involved…she was crossing the street which was the building front entrance .. that driver should have been charged. & the city needs to also..i prey for sarah’s family its a sad situation shall god bless them

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