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CHICO, CA - An 8-year-old boy crossing across to Citrus School was hit by a car this morning.

The student, Conrad Waters of Chico, was shaken with minor knee scrapes, according to E-R photographer Ty Barbour, who spoke to his mother, Sorrell Bobrink.

The incident happened at about 7:15 a.m. near Westwood Elementary School on the west side of New Castle.

Louisville, KY - A Bullitt East High student was hit by a car early this morning while trying to cross Ky. 44, which runs in front of the school.

The student was walking at about 7 a.m. when he was struck by a small sports utility vehicle, said Mount Washington Police Officer Stephen Hill.

As summer drags on, those of us who work for a living can almost be fooled into thinking that we live in a child free zone. If you are up and on the road at 8:00 AM, in an office by 9:00 AM and at work until 5:00 PM, it is probable that you don’t see a lot of kids. They are at summer camp, or at the swimming pool, or sleeping late. But once September rolls around, it’s a different matter entirely. You are going to work at exactly the same time all of these kids are going to school, which means that kids are on the sidewalks at about the same time that you are on the roads.

And judging from so many of these incidents, they aren’t exactly adhering to safe pedestrian behavior. They forget about the crosswalk and cross in the middle of the street. They text while they walk (as if there wasn’t enough of a problem with texting and driving.) They are wearing iPods that are cranked up to full volume. The teen sense of invulnerability can be staggering at times.

This is why it is incredibly important for adult drivers to behave like adult drivers and to be aware of their surroundings on their morning commutes. Since children and teenagers are often not taking precautions, adult drivers have to take up the slack. This means slowing down at school crossings, keeping your eyes on the road, not texting and driving, and maintaining a responsible rate of speed.

Bear in mind, those five examples listed above are just a few of the documented incidents of students getting hit by cars on their way to school. There has been at least one case in almost every state of the Union, and it’s only mid-October.

Your average midsize car weighs around 3000 pounds. Your average school age student weighs considerably less. The damage that even a slow moving car can do to a child is immense. Please be careful during your morning commute.

Greenberg and Bederman is an accident law firm located in Silver Spring, Maryland. We offer legal assistance to pedestrians who have been struck and injured by negligent drivers.  At Greenberg and Bederman, we do everything we can to help injured pedestrians get their lives back on track.

If you or a loved one has been injured in Virginia, Maryland or Washington, D.C, contact Greenberg & Bederman for a free accident legal consultation.