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Dallas Students Learn Pedestrian Safety During International Walk to School Day

On Wednesday, International Walk to School Day had a local focus, as second grade students at John Ireland Elementary School in Dallas got a lesson in safety outside of the classroom.

"Raise your hand if you walk to school," a Dallas Police officer asked the students. "It is so important that we learn how to keep ourselves safe as we walk."

Dallas Police, Children's Health, and FedEx teamed together to educate 2nd graders, many of whom will walk to school on their own next year.

"I was hit by a car," Misael Rico told students. It happened when Rico was 11-years old. A driver who was texting jumped a curb and hit Rico as he walked on the sidewalk. "It's not only about pedestrians nowadays. It's about the driver as well."

Children's Heath said 20 children from John Ireland Elementary's zip code were hit by cars and treated at the hospital last year.

"I think it's 20 too many," Jesus Alderete said. Alderete is Injury Prevention Coordinator for Children's Health. "We shouldn't be able to see any of those kids for something we know is 100-percent preventable as well."

Across the country, more than 40 children are hit by cars each day. That's 15,000 kids a year.

"I wish nobody would have to go through what I went through," Rico told the children.

Coordinators hope the young students will take the safety message to heart, and share it.

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