Police: Students Failure to Cross at Signal "Contributing Factor" to Accident
By: Amanda Ashley
Updated: October 25, 2012
In a new investigation report, Bentonville police say the student who was hit by a car while crossing a street was not using a signal or a crosswalk. They say this was the contributing factor to the accident.
It happened near the intersection of Central and J Street around 4 p.m. on October 18th. The 12-year-old Washington Junior High School student was crossing north to south before he was struck by a vehicle traveling eastbound.
A Bentonville bus driver witnessed the incident and made a call to first responders.
In the report, police said the student was not looking when he began running across the road and that the driver of the SUV did not have time to stop.
The student was taken to Northwest Regional Medical and later life flighted to St. John's in Springfield, MO where he is currently listed in fair condition.
Here's a look at the full police report:
Thursday, October 18th, 2012, the Bentonville Police Department initiated an investigation into a traffic accident involving a vehicle and a pedestrian. The accident occurred at approximately 3:46 p.m. on E Central Avenue close to the intersection of NE Brookhaven Court. The accident involved a 2011 Nissan Armada driven by Stephanie Reese and a 12 year old male pedestrian.
The vehicle was traveling eastbound in the inside lane of E Central Avenue. The pedestrian was walking westbound on a side walk that is located on the north side of the road. The pedestrian turned to the south and ran across the westbound lanes into the center turn lane of E Central. The pedestrian then stopped between a Bentonville School bus and a Jeep Wrangler. Without looking, the pedestrian began to run southbound across the eastbound lanes of traffic. The driver of the vehicle did not have time to react before hitting the pedestrian.
The contributing factor of this accident has been determined to be the failure on the pedestrian's behalf to cross the roadway at a marked crosswalk or at an intersection. An off-duty Rogers paramedic and a Bentonville Policeman were on scene just seconds after the accident to provide aid to the pedestrian.
The pedestrian is still receiving treatment for his injuries at Mercy Hospital located in Springfield, Missouri.
It happened near the intersection of Central and J Street around 4 p.m. on October 18th. The 12-year-old Washington Junior High School student was crossing north to south before he was struck by a vehicle traveling eastbound.
A Bentonville bus driver witnessed the incident and made a call to first responders.
In the report, police said the student was not looking when he began running across the road and that the driver of the SUV did not have time to stop.
The student was taken to Northwest Regional Medical and later life flighted to St. John's in Springfield, MO where he is currently listed in fair condition.
Here's a look at the full police report:
Thursday, October 18th, 2012, the Bentonville Police Department initiated an investigation into a traffic accident involving a vehicle and a pedestrian. The accident occurred at approximately 3:46 p.m. on E Central Avenue close to the intersection of NE Brookhaven Court. The accident involved a 2011 Nissan Armada driven by Stephanie Reese and a 12 year old male pedestrian.
The vehicle was traveling eastbound in the inside lane of E Central Avenue. The pedestrian was walking westbound on a side walk that is located on the north side of the road. The pedestrian turned to the south and ran across the westbound lanes into the center turn lane of E Central. The pedestrian then stopped between a Bentonville School bus and a Jeep Wrangler. Without looking, the pedestrian began to run southbound across the eastbound lanes of traffic. The driver of the vehicle did not have time to react before hitting the pedestrian.
The contributing factor of this accident has been determined to be the failure on the pedestrian's behalf to cross the roadway at a marked crosswalk or at an intersection. An off-duty Rogers paramedic and a Bentonville Policeman were on scene just seconds after the accident to provide aid to the pedestrian.
The pedestrian is still receiving treatment for his injuries at Mercy Hospital located in Springfield, Missouri.
