Oklahoma elementary student gets hit by car during drop off, parents concerned of speeding

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - During school drop off Monday morning, a student at Northridge Elementary School was hit by a car on a nearby street. Several concerned parents said dangerous speeding is occurring in the area on a daily basis. 

Parents in the Rambling Acres neighborhood told KFOR the speeding in this area has been an issue for years, with drivers even running stop signs. They said it’s been an accident waiting to happen.

"You just got to slow down, slow down. There's little kids,” said Jennifer Lankford, Rambling Acres resident.  

Jennifer Lankford lives in the Rambling Acres neighborhood and her children graduated from Northridge Elementary. She said for years they’ve had trouble with speeders through the area.  

“We've got a lot of kids that are getting off buses in the afternoon. We've got a lot of kids that on the weekends that are out, especially getting nice. They're riding their bikes. There's a lot of foot traffic, especially by the elementary school. So, and there's just people that, you know, they're not paying attention,” said Lankford.  

During Monday’s incident, according to the traffic incident report from the Oklahoma City Police Department, the student got out of the car and ran across the road and the driver was unable to stop before hitting the student.  

Also, the police report said the principal who witnessed the accident said the driver did not seem to be speeding.  

In a letter sent home to parents from the school about the incident, the principal wrote this below: 

_________ 

Northridge Families,  

I’m writing to make you aware of an accident outside school this morning. During drop off, a student was hit by a car on one of the neighborhood streets surrounding our school. 

The safety of our students is my top priority, so I wanted you to know this happened and also ask for your help. Please help us by using the Car Loop at school as it helps ensure the safest way for our students to get in and out of the car during drop off and pick up.  

Please talk with your students about watching for traffic when getting in and out of your vehicle. Also, please help remind your students to be aware of their surroundings when walking to the school and especially when they’re crossing a street and remind them to always use the crosswalks 

Please contact me if you have any questions. 

Kim McLaughlin 

Northridge Principal 

________ 

This also comes years after a 12-year-old who went to Northridge Elementary School was riding his bike in the neighborhood, when he crashed into an SUV and died. 

His father spoke with KFOR and said even after the accident on Monday and his son’s tragic death, drivers continue to be reckless around the school and in the neighborhood. 

“He had the right of way at an intersection and was just crossing the intersection. And someone didn't see him and turned into him... It was called an internal decapitation. So, his head in his neck separated from his body because of the blunt force of the hit. He had a helmet on,” said Dewayne Richardson. 

“It's not just, hey, you need to slow down. I'm telling you, I've lost a son over it. And the other person was devastated because of the person that he hit... It was sad, but to me, it's just we've got to pay attention. The kids also have to be aware,” added Richardson.  

The student who was hit by the car Monday was transported by EMSA to the hospital. 

We asked the school district for an update on the student's condition. They told KFOR they cannot give us that information because it is the privacy of the student. However, several parents we spoke to say they believe the student is okay.