Portland Fire & Rescue - IN THE NEWS

FOX 12 News

November 2, 2010

2 Children Walking To School Hurt In Crash 

Portland, OR -- Foggy conditions may be to blame for a crash that injured two children walking to school in northeast Portland.

A 9-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl were rushed to Legacy Emanuel Children’s Hospital after the crash at Northeast 15th Avenue and Rosa Parks Way in Portland.

Portland police say the girl suffered a head injury and the boy suffered abrasions on his face. One of the children was entered into the hospital’s trauma unit as a precaution, said a spokesman with the Portland Fire Bureau.

Fire spokesman Paul Corah says the 45-year-old driver didn’t see the children crossing the street because of the fog. She stayed at the scene of the crash and fully cooperated with investigators, police say.

Officers say the driver was not impaired and speed was not a factor.

There is not a traffic light at the intersection where the children were trying to cross the street. Police say the boy and girl were trying to catch a bus on the other side of the street.

Portland police are still investigating.

Portland Fire & Recue offers the following recommendations to help keep children safe while traveling to school:

TIPS FOR DRIVERS:

• Slow down and be especially alert in the residential neighborhoods and school zones.
• Take extra time to look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs.
• Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully.
• Watch for children on and near the road in the morning and after school hours.
• Reduce any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.

TIPS FOR STUDENTS:

• Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks.
• Never run out into the streets or cross in between parked cars.
• Make sure to always walk in front of the bus where the bus driver can see you.

  Portland Fire & Rescue 

  We Respond: Always Ready, Always There

  November 2, 2010