Police said at least four people, including three students, were injured when two vehicles collided in front of a Fort Worth school Friday morning.[[420068273,C]]
Fort Worth police said an SUV T-boned a Chevy sedan, while the sedan was turning into the school entrance. It happened outside the Fort Worth Can Academy Westcreek in the 6600 block of Westcreek Drive at about 8:00 a.m.
Police said there were four people in the smaller car, three of them students. The driver was ejected, then pinned under the car.
Authorities said four people were transported to hospitals, one in critical condition, two serious and one with minor injuries.
Dr. James Ponce, Chief of Schools for Texans Can Acadmies, said, "We're keeping our thoughts and prayers with their families."
He added that staff was taking care of any fellow students who were shaken up by what they saw, and students weren't the only ones to witness the trauma.
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"I hate the fact that that did happen. I knew it was going to happen sooner or later," said Dawn Baublit, who works in home healthcare across the street.
Her own car was badly damaged in a recent hit and run while it was parked on Westcreek Drive, across from the school.
"It's kind of like a curve and they do drive very, very fast," Baublit said. "They've come up on the curbs, hit quite a few vehicles."
But unlike nearby Southwest High School, there are no school zone signs posted outside the Can Academy campus.
"It should be a school zone because they do drive erratically," Baublit said. "We don't have enough officers out here patrolling the area."
Now she hopes the damage done to metal, mind and body will bring change and finally slow traffic down.
Fort Worth police say speed was likely a factor in the crash, based on what witnesses are saying.
A spokesperson for the City of Fort Worth's public works department told NBC 5 they put in school zones automatically for public schools that are part of an independent school district.
But since Texans Can Academy is a charter school, school administrators have to request the school zone themselves.
Dr. Ponce said, "Texans Can is always agreeable to do anything to make the schools safer. If that means having a school zone in front of the school, we welcome that."
The city does now expect to send out a crew to take a look.
School principal Ku-masi Lewis released the following statement regarding the crash:
Three of our students were involved in an automobile accident this morning on their way to school. They are in the care of medical professionals and their injuries are being evaluated.
Our thoughts and prayers are with those injured and with the family and friends of all who are involved.
Our focus at this time is to care for our students in class and make sure they are receiving any counseling resources and care needed.
