Especially since they are places known to experience lots of foot traffic and bicycle traffic, pedestrian accidents are fairly common in and around the schools of the greater Tampa area.
In one coastal suburb north of the city, a high school freshman got hit by a car while she was walking to classes. According to initial reports, the student was not within a crosswalk when the driver, who is a teacher at the school, collided with her. The student was unconscious after the accident and had to be flown via helicopter to the closest hospital. She was listed in critical condition following the accident.
While police say they located headphones at the scene of the accident, they could not say for certain whether the student had them on when she was struck by the teacher’s vehicle. While police also said that they did not think speed played any significant role in the accident, the teacher did admit that that the teacher did not see the student crossing the street until it was too late.
There will obviously need to be some more investigation in to this accident in order to determine the precise cause of the accident and the role both the 15-year-old student and the teacher played in it. It is important at this point to remember, however, that drivers in Florida have an obligation to be on the lookout for pedestrians, and this holds particularly true when driving around schools.
The family of the girl who got hit will no doubt have a lot of financial and non-economic costs associated with this accident. In addition to medical bills, ongoing rehabilitation expenses are a real possibility. The student will have to miss a lot of school and may also miss out on work opportunities. Compensation may be available to the victim and her family.
