Parents Want Sidewalks After Another Student Is Hit Walking To School
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DENTON (CBSDFW.COM) - A Denton mother is pleading for a sidewalk after her 15-year-old daughter was hit Monday by a car walking to school.
Freshman Faith Carlin, 15, suffered cuts and bruises after being knocked off her feet by a car while walking along East McKinney Street on her way to Billy Ryan High School.
"I landed on my head and back," said Carlin, who at first wasn't even sure what had happened.
"I saw all these people surrounding me asking me if I was okay," she said. "That's when I realized that I got hit by a car."
This is not the first time a Ryan High School student has been hit along this road while walking to and from school.
Denton ISD spokesman Mario Zavala said, "The district has been talking with the city and TxDOT about this for quite some time."
The school district say its "hands are tied" when it comes to adding sidewalks on non-district property.
Zavala added the district also doesn't have the funds to bus high school students who live two miles from campus.
Funding to widen East McKinney Street near Ryan High School have been approved but, at best, the project won't start for another two years.
"This is something we need to address," said Councilwoman Keely Briggs. "What we can do right now is the question. That's the thing we need to brainstorm on."
Briggs, whose district includes the area near Ryan High School, said she has requested a meeting with the city manager, the city's streets director, and TxDOT in order to come up with a solution.
Faith's mother, Dawn Carlin, said until there's some sort of solution she won't be allowing her daughter to walk to school.
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