MORGANTON, N.C. — Two students from the North Carolina School of Science and Math were seriously injured on Wednesday evening when a driver ran a red light at a crosswalk on West Fleming Drive in Morganton.
The incident marks the second time in a year that students have been struck at the same crosswalk, raising concerns about pedestrian safety in the area. The North Carolina Department of Transportation had previously made visibility improvements to the crosswalk, including adding black plates to signal heads and installing high visibility markings and an advanced warning flasher.
The owner of Mi Pais shared video footage of the incident, showing the students at the pedestrian crosswalk when the car entered the intersection.
It is similar to a video that Tim Bernard shared of his grandson being stuck in the same pedestrian crosswalk one year ago badly injuring his leg.
“At that point, the whole viewpoint changed, because we realized he may not be here,” Bernard said.
Channel 9′s Dave Faherty spoke with Penny Hamblin, the mother of the student struck last year.
When she learned of a second accident there, she said her heart dropped.
“These girls have such a long recovery period,” she said. “For the parents, my heart just like bleeding for the parents.”
Morganton Public Safety released a photo of the crash, noting that drivers were heading into the sunset at the time of the wreck. In both incidents, drivers were charged with failure to stop for a red light and yield to a pedestrian. Police reported that one of the students struck this week sustained serious injuries.
Family members believe more needs to be done to keep students safe.
“These parents from all over North Carolina are sending their children to go to school in Morganton at this place,” Hamblin said. “With the expectation that the city of Morganton is going to protect and keep their kids safe.”
The recurring accidents have prompted the school to seek public assistance for further safety changes at the crosswalk, as concerns about student safety continue to grow.
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