12-Year-Old Girl Struck By Car, Killed Near Elmont School
ELMONT, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A 12-year-old girl was struck and killed while walking to school with friends on Long Island.
Gabrielle Christina Johnson, an Elmont Memorial Junior High School student, was crossing Elmont Road at Village Avenue around 7:30 a.m. Monday when she was hit by a 2013 Nissan. The girl was on her way to school, less than a block away.
"The car was definitely going fast it was beeping from far away it didn't really seem like he slowed down," Philip Toussaint, a witness, said.
The driver got out of the car to try to help, but according to police there was nothing that could be done, CBS2's Steve Langford reported.
"She was, I guess, dragging a bag carrying some things for school and everything just went flying and her shoes came off," Toussaint said. "It was pretty brutal."
"The impact was extreme, and that is unfortunately why the 12-year-old succumbed to her injuries," Detective Lt. Richard LeBrun said.
Police said witnesses report the driver had the green light at this intersection, the victim crossing on a red. The speed of the vehicle that hit the young girl has not been ruled out as a possible key element in the investigation, Langford reported.
No criminality is suspected at this time.
LeBrun said it appears the seventh grader was walking against the traffic light, WCBS 880's Mike Xirinachs reported.
There were no crossing guards at the busy intersection, which locals said is a shortcut to school, Xirinachs reported.
"The school has enacted its crisis plan and grief counselors will be made available to students and staff as needed," the Board of Education said in a statement. "We extended our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the student during this difficult time."
Johnson's family has been notified.
A police official on scene indicated a safety study will be done at the crossing.
