Close call: Pickup slams into day care center
No one seriously hurt in accident
No one seriously hurt in accident
The toddlers slept Wednesday as a pickup crashed through the brick wall of the Enright Child Development Center across from Edison Elementary School.
“We had an angel looking over us,” said Steve Huff, a St. Joseph School District spokesman.
None of the 10 children or five staff members was hurt when the accident happened at 12:43 p.m. Wednesday.
Instead of being on the playground, they were all napping on the right side of the building, said Julia Myers, site coordinator for the center.
“Horrible, horrible mess,” said Marilyn Fagan, the center director who was visibly shaking 45 minutes after the accident. “The whole building seemed to be moving.”
Ms. Fagan and other staff members grabbed the children and moved them toward the back of the building after the accident.
“A teacher woke me up because a truck ran into the building,” said Molly Whitchurch, 4. “Nobody cried.” Molly wouldn’t go home until staff retrieved her Hello Kitty blanket.
Staff followed the emergency plan and evacuated everyone, Ms. Myers said. The children were marched to an air-conditioned room at Edison, and staff members called parents.
The accident occurred when Britany M. Reed, 19, was driving a 1998 Ford Ranger south on 22nd Street and her purse fell on the floorboard, said Richard Bradley, a traffic officer with the St. Joseph Police Department. Distracted, Ms. Reed allowed the pickup’s tires to strike the curb and she lost control, Mr. Bradley said. The officer cited her for careless driving.
The pickup plowed across the children’s playground, striking recreational equipment before slamming through the brick and tearing up tables and other items inside.
“I’m still shaking,” Ms. Reed said later at her home.
She couldn’t get out on the driver’s side, so passenger John Baynham Jr. helped her out on his side. Except for a scraped elbow, the driver wasn’t hurt.
No estimate was available Wednesday on the amount of damage to the district’s Enright Center.
The district hopes to have the building repaired and reopened in about two weeks, Mr. Huff said.
Ms. Whitchurch’s parents wrote the district a letter Wednesday afternoon asking for placement of a permanent barrier or moving the playground.
Marshall White can be reached at marshall@npgco.com.
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My goodness. So she had a passenger and still insisted on fumbling for her purse? Hopefully she has learned from this.
Good lord that is scary though. I remember when they first built the day care I thought, "that's pretty dang close to 22nd street for kids to have a playground RIGHT there."
I don't know how often I've seen 10+ kids out there playing around. Jeez, I'd probably still be shaking.
Glad everyone is okay. Maybe if the day care plans to stay for a while they should invest in concrete pylons ala bank ATM's, etc. Very effective and I think they would be wisely used.
I'll volunteer time to set them in place if someone pays for 'em!
Posted by younggrandma on August 14, 2008 at 9:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)I say check her cell phone pings to see if that had anything to do with it.
Posted by Mr_America on August 14, 2008 at 11:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)I say raise the driving age to 21. ;)
Posted by HC2008 on August 14, 2008 at 3:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)I don't know how many times I have complained about the traffic in front of Edison school. I have seen too many close calls with the student crossing guards and other kids almost getting hit by cars that ignore the speed limit and stop light! Is this what it takes for someone to realize something needs to change?!?!?!
Enright was very fortunate that no one was injured and that the staff reacted as quickly as they did. I hope they are able to make the repairs to the building and get those children back to their regular routines soon!! Lord knows they've been through enough the last few days! If that girl had a passenger why was she reaching for her purse??? The damage done to the building almost makes you wonder if she was speeding!! I sure hope something is done about the traffic on 22nd!
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