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Driver charged after hitting Moody Middle student outside school

Posted at 8:37 AM, Dec 05, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-05 12:54:22-05

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- A vehicle struck a Moody Middle School student as he crossed the street outside the Henrico County school Monday morning.

"[The student] was crossing Woodman Road at the intersection and was utilizing the crosswalk when he was struck by a vehicle traveling south on Woodman Road," Henrico Police spokesman Lt. Chris Garrett said. "The juvenile was transported to a local hospital with apparent non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the car was charged with reckless driving."

Police were called to the intersection of Woodman Road and Boxwood Road, near the school, at about 8:06 a.m.

A parent dropping his daughter off at school said he saw the student on the ground being tended to by Henrico Fire and EMS.

He also saw a vehicle with a smashed front windshield.

Melody Thorpe lives right across the street from the school and says she has to walk her disabled son, an 8th grader at Moody MS, across Woodman Road every day.

"Because I don't trust that people will stop, and he's on a scooter,” said Thorpe.

She says the dangerous crosswalk has been an issue for years.

"Honestly I've been waiting for this to happen for a while and thought that it was going to take this, unfortunately, for something to be done. It's been an issue for a long, long time,” she said.

Thorpe and other parents say an official should be at the crosswalk while kids cross to and from school.

"A crossing guard. Something, someone,” she said.

She's hoping today's incident will bring awareness, and push county leaders to make a change

"Every parent in this neighborhood whose child has walked to school has had issues and called about it. And the county's solution was to repaint a few years back the crosswalk,” she said.

This is a developing story. Submit a news tip here.

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