Update: Parents call for changes after SUV hits school crossing guard in Pleasanton
PLEASANTON -- Parents are demanding changes after a crossing guard was hit and injured by an SUV near a Pleasanton elementary school Thursday morning.
Pleasanton Police said the collision happened at 7:48 a.m. at Vineyard Avenue and Adams Way, just north of Valley View Elementary School.
Witnesses reported a midsize SUV hit a crossing guard assigned to that intersection, police said. The male victim was taken to a local hospital with head injuries. A spokesperson for the City of Pleasanton said the guard was in stable condition Thursday afternoon.
The driver of the vehicle stayed at the scene and was cooperating with the investigation. Alcohol, drugs, or distracted driving did not appear to be a factor, police said.
A stretch of Vineyard Avenue between Amador Court and Vineyard Way was closed for several hours during the investigation. The street was reopened as of 1:24 p.m. according to an update from police.
Neighbors say the crossing guard who usually works at the intersection where that accident happened is beloved and always wearing a smile.
Parents with children at Valley View Elementary said they want something done about the intersection.
Erica Gallegos lives a few feet away from where the crossing guard was struck. She said she came out of her home just five minutes after the accident happened.
"It was really sad this morning, because the kids was just right here, walking. And he was there on the ground," said Gallegos.
She said the guard's name is Bob and that seeing pain on the familiar face that greets her every morning was hard to watch. She thinks the city should make some changes.
"I think we need a light at this crosswalk, definitely," Gallegos said. "We have a lot of kids here. And like I say, it's important for us. Because today it was Bob, but who knows tomorrow."
She isn't the only neighbor who feels like this.
"People go quickly there," said Fred Donald, whose granddaughter attends the school. "It's 25 mph [speed limit], just like how this is a school zone here. They need a stoplight there because there is limited access to the school from two directions."
Others said cars constantly speed around the school and hope the incident is a wake-up call for all. By the time school let out Thursday afternoon, another crossing guard was sent out to protect kids at the intersection.
Area residents were sending their warmest wishes to their favorite crossing guard.
"We love him," said Gallegos.
Authorities in Pleasanton confirmed that this was the second pedestrian accident in the area around the school this week.
On Tuesday at around 3:10 p.m., a ten-year-old was hit by a car as he was walking westbound in the crosswalk at First Street and Kottinger Drive, just a few blocks away from Valley View Elementary School.
The driver was making a right turn from westbound Kottinger Drive and onto northbound First Street and did not see the child, who only suffered minor injuries from the collision. Officials said the driver was determined to be at fault in the accident.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has any information was asked to call the Pleasanton Police Department at (925) 931-5100.
Lezla Gooden contributed to this story.