Fairfield sixth grader dies after being hit by alleged drunk driver, family calls for safety changes
SOLANO COUNTY — Rambunctious, strong-willed, and a dreamer. Those are all words Terra Star Jackson's mother used to describe her 24 hours after her family made the decision to take the 11-year-old Grange Middle School student off of life support, days after an alleged drunk driver hit her in the crosswalk on the way to school.
Barbara Jackson told CBS13 she couldn't believe the conversation she was having: speaking to a media outlet to spread the word about her family's concerns over safety near the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District school where her daughter was hit Thursday.
It happened around 8 a.m., Jackson dropped Terra and her twin brother off at Grange Middle School as she always did, but this day was different. She received a call shortly after that Terra, affectionately known as "Kissy" due to her sweet personality, had been in an accident. Hit as she walked across East Tabor Avenue towards the campus.
She was in critical condition through Sunday when, Jackson said, she knew Terra's dreams of being a doctor and saving lives could be carried out in her death.
"She would say she was gonna be a doctor when she grew up, because she wanted to fix all the people's hearts that had broken hearts," said Jackson.
Now, Jackson said, she believes Terra's wish of saving lives was fulfilled, but not in the way she ever dreamed it would be. She said their family home is quiet and her twin brother said he feels like a "piece of him was broken."
These memories of "Kissy's" smile and empathetic nature are only part of why Jackson said she wanted to speak about her daughter.
"I don't want any other parents, or children, to have to go through this. There's no reason for it, it could've been avoided," said Jackson.
Jackson said her family wants to see speed bumps, safety lights at the crosswalk, a crossing guard, and speed-limit signs placed closer to the crosswalk. She hopes Terra's legacy is saving other lives and reminding drivers to slow down.
CBS13 took these concerns from Jackson's family to the FSUSD spokesperson. Some of the safety requests are already in the works, and on the day of the accident, work was in progress to extend the sidewalk near Grange Middle School as part of Fairfield's Safe Routes to School Project.
It is with a heavy heart that we received the heartbreaking news of the passing of one of our students, Terra Star Jackson, who was involved in an accident last week. Our school and community are devastated by this loss of a bright and promising soul. We extend our sincerest condolences to her family during this incredibly difficult time.
With all of our positions, and similarly to school districts across the nation, we are facing severe staffing shortages, but we are and have been actively recruiting for all of our positions, through career fairs, social media posts, and paid advertising. We are actively recruiting for unfilled crossing guard positions.
Our ongoing partnership with the city of Fairfield has allowed us to be a part of the "Safe Routes to School Project" which is currently underway, and started in January of this year. Improvements include, but are not limited to: installing concrete curb extensions, rapid flashing beacons at crosswalks, traffic signal modifications, and traffic striping. The area is marked and identified as a school zone with speed limit and school zone signs.
Although our work with the city of Fairfield regarding traffic safety started in the early 2000s, The Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District adopted Board Policy 5142.2, Safe Routes to School Program, and its corresponding Administrative Regulation which outlines strategies to improve student safety along routes to school.
While we understand the importance and utility of a crossing guard. Given the circumstances of the incident and the driver's condition, it's difficult to imagine that a crossing guard could have had a significant impact in preventing this tragedy. We implore the residents of our community to avoid driving while under the influence of any substances.
-Lindsey Michels, FSUSD spokesperson
On a popular education jobs website there are a dozen open positions for Crossing Guards within FSUSD and surrounding districts. These positions, according to the FSUSD spokesperson, are being recruited for actively.
The 32-year-old driver charged in the accident will be in court in May. She was released on bail.