Child Hit In Crosswalk Near Pembroke Pines School, Neighbors Call For Better Traffic Signals

By Jacqueline Quynh

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    PEMBROKE PINES, Florida (WFOR) — A young girl is recovering at a hospital after being hit while riding her bicycle near her school.

Now some residents in the area think it’s time for better signage or even a traffic light.

“Oh my God, I was so afraid and I was praying for the family,” Eufemia Lopez said.

According to Pembroke Pines police, just after 2 p.m. the girl, a student at Lakeside Elementary School, was riding her bike through the crosswalk when she was hit by a car.

“Preliminary investigation has revealed that the vehicle was traveling westbound on NW 10th Street when it ran a stop sign at the intersection of NW 10th street and NW 136th avenue,” Pembroke Pines police Sgt. Christina Rogers said.

The crash was saddening but not a complete surprise to some of the people CBS 4 talked with in the area. They think something needs to be done in order for drivers to obey the signs and speed limit.

“I knew something bad was going to happen. We see cops there giving tickets almost everyday,” Omaris Garrido said.

Garrido, who lives in the area, is not sure why she’s seen so many people run the stop signs, but it’s been enough to make her feel uneasy crossing the street whenever she’s out walking.

“Even though we see a car stopping there, we just stop until we make eye contact then we go ahead and cross the street,” she said.

She’s not the only one with complaints about drivers. Former students who were walking home Thursday also described having close calls.

“It happens a lot, usually during dismissal, we’d walk and go to the library and see people speeding,” Carolina Lopez said.

Garrido would like to see new measures taken to force drivers to take notice of road regulations.

“Something has to happen because honestly, I see cops all the time. Something, traffic lights,” she said.

The driver of the car that hit the girl was also taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

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