Winters Joint Unified School District reported that a Winters Middle School student was hit by a car on Thursday morning in the area of Anderson Avenue and Apricot Avenue.
Winters Police and Fire Departments posted an update on social media that the area had been closed while they investigated the incident. The area was later reopened that afternoon.
Winters Police Chief John P. Miller told the Express in a phone call that the student was alert and conscious on the scene and complained of pain in the leg. Winters Fire and EMS personnel rendered aid and AMR transported the juvenile to a local hospital for further treatment.
According to Miller, subsequent to the investigation, speed was not a contributing factor. The juvenile was crossing diagonally outside of the crosswalk markings across the intersection of Apricot and Anderson Avenues and stepped in front of the vehicle, which was traveling eastbound on Anderson Avenue.
A Winters PD Facebook post on Thursday stated “Traffic safety is a community concern and a priority for the Winters Police Department. Our Officers patrol around schools during school hours, as staffing and calls for service, allow. Today, unfortunately, our Officer was monitoring traffic at Waggoner Elementary School when this collision occurred.”
Miller said he recently started a conversation with Winters Joint Unified School District about pedestrian safety at the schools. Winters PD has also been working with WMS administrators to update school zone signage on Anderson Avenue and reviewed the area for any additional traffic safety measures.
Miller encouraged families to have conversations with their children about pedestrian safety and advised all pedestrians to “look both ways before crossing the street — regardless if there’s a crosswalk or not a crosswalk. And if there is a crosswalk, utilize it.” He also encourages drivers to slow down when driving through school zones and have extra caution and be aware of student pedestrians crossing the streets during school hours.
