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UPDATE: Chesterfield girl hit by car recovering in hospital

Posted at 9:16 PM, Apr 12, 2012
and last updated 2012-04-13 19:18:55-04

CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WTVR) - A 12-year-old girl hit by a car while trying to cross the road in Chesterfield is recovering in the hospital Friday.

Police said the girl was struck by a sedan in Old Bon Air  on Robious Road at Woodmont Drive around  8 p.m. Thursday.

No charges have been filed said Lt. Andrea Riesmeyer.

"Honestly, I'm surprised it hasn't happened more" said Carrie Lewis, who lives near where the child was struck.

Lewis told CBS 6 News' Wayne Covil that traffic at the intersection of Robious Road and Woodmont is heavy throughout the day.

However, Lewis said that traffic can be stopped by pressing a button at the crosswalk. But many in the area told Covil that most children and teens choose not to use the button.

"A lot of kids will cross that intersection without pressing the button. They'll run across, they'll hope to miss the cars," said Lewis.

Aura Deane, who has lived in Greenfield for more than 20 years, agreed with Lewis.

"Most of the kids do not use that signal button, they just try to play dodge ball with the traffic and unfortunately yesterday, was a real tragedy," she said while taking a break from planting flowers.

About the time the park closes is when Thomas Minnick said the area is most dangerous.

"You'll see a passel of kids coming across the street, sometimes darting across the street, trying to avoid traffic, so it's a dangerous situation," said Minnick.

While traffic is constant at the intersection, some parents said they use the button to get cross, but that some teens are too impatient.

"You might see them press the button but they don't wait, they just take a look at the traffic and just take off across it," said Bill Brownson, who has driven through the intersection for more than 13 years.

"And not aware four lanes of traffic and I've seen kids just about get hit up, probably once or twice a week."