Elizabeth School District probes crosswalk safety after student struck; town, district plan lighting, striping and temporary SRO detail
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Summary
A student was struck by a car near Elizabeth High School on Oct. 27 and was released from the hospital; the district and town plan immediate and near-term safety measures including repainting striping, installing crosswalk lights and stationing a school resource officer while longer-term changes are evaluated.
A student who was struck by a car near Elizabeth High School was treated at a hospital and released home, Superintendent Dan Snowberger said during the board's Oct. 28 meeting.
Superintendent Dan Snowberger said the student experienced swelling in a leg and will undergo follow-up X-rays this week; the district reported the student's condition improved enough for hospital discharge. "Fire rescue and police were there within, I would say, within 30 seconds," Snowberger said, praising local emergency responders and district staff.
The town and the district immediately identified near-term changes to improve pedestrian safety at the school intersection. Town and district officials said they plan to repaint crosswalk striping, add crosswalk warning lights to alert drivers when people are in the crosswalk, and consider a crossing guard or additional in-lane medians to increase visibility. School Resource Officer Daisy Tucker will staff the crossing each morning until those improvements are in place, Snowberger said.
Board members said they will meet with town officials to finalize the work and emphasized the seasonal visibility issue caused by low sun angles in the morning. The district also said it will evaluate whether further engineering changes are necessary after the initial improvements.
The board did not take any formal vote tied to capital spending during the Oct. 28 meeting; Snowberger said the town is taking responsibility for some of the striping and light upgrades and that the district will coordinate operational measures such as SRO coverage.
The district encouraged caution by drivers and families while short-term measures are installed and said it will follow up with the board on the timetable for permanent changes.