Editor’s note: Edmonton police initially said the bus was driving north, but later clarified the bus was driving south before turning on the avenue.
A teenage girl was taken to hospital after being hit by a school bus Monday morning in west Edmonton, police said.
The crash happened on 100 Avenue, near 167 Street, around 7:50 a.m. The 14-year-old girl was walking south across the avenue in a marked crosswalk at the time, police said.
It was reported to police that the school bus was travelling south on 167 Street when it turned left onto 100 Avenue and struck the girl.
Paramedics treated and transported the teenager to hospital with serious injuries, police said.
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Edmonton Public Schools confirmed students on the bus were being taken to two nearby schools at the time. All students are safe and unharmed. The parents of the kids on board were contacted directly, according to Edmonton Public Schools spokesperson Megan Normandeau.
“Support will be offered to students at impacted schools on an as-needed basis,” she said.
The one-way stretch of road was shut down to traffic at 170 Street while the major collision unit investigated.
As of just before 10 a.m., police said the investigation was still in the preliminary stages and no charges have been laid.
Rachael Chand works in the area and noted tragedies have unfolded on 100 Avenue before as well as many close calls.
“Clearly people aren’t getting noticed crossing these streets,” she said, adding she believes the collision was not intentional “but still we need to focus on everyone around us.”
Chand said drivers turning and taking their cars the wrong way on the one-way street and pedestrians getting hit or nearly getting hit happens too often near the scene of Monday’s collision.
“I find that walking across this street over here, it’s almost too wide — that cars think they can just turn while you’re walking and they’re very impatient,” she said. “And maybe because it’s so wide, they think they can make it instead of waiting for you to actually cross the street.
“This is a problem that happens all the time.”
Chand said when she crosses the street she always makes sure to make eye contact with drivers to ensure she is noticed. She said one idea to address the situation may be to add more flashing lights to longer crosswalks.
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