Middle School Student Struck by Car
The 12-year-old girl was not seriously injured, but the accident concerns some parents whose children may have to walk to school next year because of subscription busing.
A 12-year-old Millburn Middle School student was struck by an 18-year-old Livingston driver on Tuesday as she crossed Main Street on her way to school.
The girl, who, according to Millburn Police, was not seriously injured but taken to St. Barnabas to check out some pain, had been walking toward school on Main Street north of Essex Street with two friends at the time of the accident.
According to Lt. Peter Eakley, the friends crossed the street, mid-block, when there was no traffic and made it safely to the other side but the 12-year-old darted into the street from between two parked vehicles, was struck and thrown about three feet.
The accident occurred at 10:28 a.m., when 6th graders were coming to school late because of state testing of 7th and 8th graders, said district spokesman Nancy Dries. At any time of day, students are encouraged to use the bridge to avoid traffic.
After being struck, Eakley said, the girl made her way back to the sidewalk and was treated at the scene. MMS staff took the girl to the hospital when she complained of pain, police said.
Mayor Sandy Haimoff expressed relief that the child was not seriously injured, but also expressed concern that they girls did not cross with the crossing guards.
Superintendent James Crisfield also said he was relieved that the girl, who chose not to cross where she was supposed to, is all right.
"I think we all feel very fortunate," he said, "and relieved that she is OK."
For many parents, safety of children walking to school has become an issue since the district has eliminated courtesy busing for next school year, especially since some children who will now either have to walk or pay for busing live on what have been deemed by the district as hazardous routes with no sidewalks.
Under subscription busing, parents must pay a fee for their children to use the bus, unless they live 2 -1/2 miles away from the high school or two miles away from elementary or middle school, as mandated by the state.
After complaining to the school district with no relief, one parent who has been a vocal opponent sent an email letter to every member of the Township Committee on Thursday, asking how the town is planning to protect the children.
“Given the accident that occurred in town just a few days ago when a Middle
School child was hit by a car on the way to school, I would think the
town will be especially sensitive to these issues,” wrote Carolyn Most. “… the onus is now on the Township to ensure our children’s safety.
“So I must ask,” she wrote. “What is the Township plan for providing safe walking routes
for our children, - especially elementary school children - to get to school when school starts in September?”
Mayor Sandy Haimoff said the Township has met with the district and school board members and until the district has sense of who is going to take the subscription busing and who will opt out, the town will not know how much it will have to do.
“Of course, safety comes first,” she said. “But until we know what we have to deal we have nothing to deal with
School officials have told the township they should know by June 1, how many people will subscribe to the program.
"After that we'll have a sense of who is going to be on the bus and who won't be," Crisfield said. "Then we'll take it from there."
The Bus stops Here
3:53 pm on Thursday, May 5, 2011
Maybe Ms. Most should wrap all of our children in bubble wrap or just maybe cough up the money to put her kid on the bus. This accident occurred because a child crossed where she should not have. No amount of crossing gaurds would have stopped this. She should stop trying to politicize this accident. She should be ashamed of herself.
M OKeef
12:32 pm on Friday, May 6, 2011
Ms Most will not be paying for a bus. She will be getting the busing free via the "hardship" waiver (judging by info provided in her earlier posts on this website) and maybe the BOE thinks that area in South Mtn which gets bused to Wyoming will qualify for the economic hardship waiver so there is no need to revisit the bus decision for that neighborhood. It would be nice if Ms Most would thank the BOE (and taxpayers) for being so sympathetic to her arguments and accommodating her. It sounds as if Ms Most thinks she is an ancilliary member of both BOE and Township committees and that she has little faith either can do an adequate job if left to their own devices.
Marty Wilson
5:48 pm on Thursday, May 5, 2011
Ms. Most, talk about opportunism? how about - thank God the kid is OK? how about taking into account that the kid ran into traffic, this had nothing to do with town sponsored school safety? also, it happened mid-morning when kids are normally in school but weren't because the NJ ASK tests were being given. Ms Most - shame shame shame - you are embarrassing.
M.Moore
6:55 pm on Thursday, May 5, 2011
"the onus is on the township to ensure our children's safety" - I'm sorry but I think the onus is on the parents to ensure their children's safety. You cannot give up your parental responsibility to the school district or the township. The township and school district have a share in it, but the ultimate responsibility is with the parent.
Susan1
7:27 am on Friday, May 6, 2011
Ms. Most seems to be the next MeMe Roth. Remember her? She had some valuable things to say about children's nutrition, but she did it in such a strident way that she turned people off from hearing her message.
Jaleh Teymourian Brahms
8:57 am on Friday, May 6, 2011
I'm very glad the child is okay especially given she was thrown three feet! What a terrifying experience for her, her friends and her parents.
However, I am disturbed by the personal attacks on others in the comments, in this piece and others as of late. Why is it necessary?
Carolyn Most
9:16 am on Friday, May 6, 2011
My intention is not to alienate people. I am quite passionate about this issue...... Let me clarify my statements - taken a bit out of context. I said that given this week's accident, the township needs to be "especially sensitive" to safety issues of kids getting to school. If even one child - god forbid - is somehow injured once the new busing policy is put in place, residents will be outraged and lawsuits will follow at the taxpayers expense.
Based on other towns Subscription Busing service, we can expect 30%, at most 50%, adoption. That means between 1000 and 1500 additional township kids will be walking or driven to school next year.. This will have a significant impact on traffic and safety around the schools and throughout the township on main roads. Are folks suggesting that the Town Committee shouldn't be extremely concerned about this?
As far as my comment about the onus being on the township...The School Board failed to adequately analyze the implications of busing cuts. Here is a comment form a 11/10 school Board Meeting by member Samuel Levy, "who had worked on a hazardous routes report several years ago" "Levy warned that to do all the research associated with the busing issue is a year-long task, involving numerous meetings, traveling on roads and determining which routes are hazardous and which residents use them."
The Board implemented the cut without completing this level of research. So now, unfortunately, the onus falls on the township to do so.
Carolyn Most
9:53 am on Friday, May 6, 2011
Does anyone know what year the town introduced Courtesy Busing by referendum?
A Mother Who Knows
9:25 am on Friday, May 6, 2011
Because a lot of people in this town live in la la land.. They want less taxes and more services. The Schools cut the bussing, now they want the Town to provide services, i.e. crossing guards. IT IS THE SAME TAX PAYERS – cut bussing - add crossing guards (if Millburn even has the money to do that)... GET REAL…
When you cut bussing you are going to get a big savings for one year.. and then what?? This was not thought you correctly…
When you cut the bussing, it is going to make more cars around the schools at arrival and dismissal. It is also going to put more children on the streets around the schools. Half the parents don’t cooperate with the schools procedures, so that adds to the problem. Wait until September…WE ARE GOING TO HAVE REAL PROBLEMS.
Acton
9:29 am on Friday, May 6, 2011
Levy's comments seems sound to me. I agree that Township has a responsibility to study the issue now and be prepared for a range of possibilities regarding the amount of additional pedestrian traffic. I also implore our officials to rigorously enforce the ban on hand-held cellphone use by drivers, which will be more important than ever when the new busing plan is implemented.
KLF
12:08 pm on Friday, May 6, 2011
THIS I agree with. I think the MPD should strictly and pervasively enfore the handl-held cell phone ban every day.
Susan1
7:55 am on Saturday, May 7, 2011
I also agree. I am shocked at how many people I see driving with a phone pressed to their ear. Great source of revenue for the town as well.
MarkDS
8:24 am on Saturday, May 7, 2011
While I agree that motor vehicle laws should be enforced, and that includes cross walk violations as well as cell phone rules. But lets not get distracted from the fact that this accident resulted from jay walking (when there were plenty of options for safe crossing) and there was no indication in the report of any driver error.
So lets start enforcing and fining jay walking violations as well.
MarkDS
9:34 am on Friday, May 6, 2011
I walked to school in New York City by myself at an age that if someone tried it with their kids today they would likely be reported to DYFUS.
What happened was terrible but the kid was jaywalking at a location where there was an option of crossing at a light (or using the bridge). We can not just slouch off personal responsibility and say it is someone else's fault.
Maybe if we let kids take more responsibility earlier and trained them correctly to do so, they would not try crossing the street in a dangerous manner.
eh270
10:52 am on Friday, May 6, 2011
Very scary. I hope the student is alright. I think about how scary it would be to get hit by a car every day when I walk to the train station. I live in South Mountain, and every day on walking to/from the NJTransit train station I, along with dozens of other commuters, have to jaywalk across Essex and Millburn Avenues. There is a pedestrian crossing on Holmes St., but because there is no visual indication of the crosswalk other than the paint on the street, very few motorists slow down when pedestrians try to cross -- often times they even honk. The next closest crossing with a traffic signal is either Wyoming Avenue or Lackawanna, the former is only helpful if you live beyond Wyoming Avenue and the latter is in the other direction.
I think it's only a matter of time before someone is struck by a car crossing these streets, given how many people walk from South Mountain each day to/from the station.