By Bryant-Jon Anteola, Anthony Galaviz
The Fresno Bee
FRESNO, Calif. — Eleven students were injured Wednesday from a crash that unfolded next to the Roosevelt High School campus in Fresno.
It happened at 3:26 p.m. just after school at Tulare and Cedar avenues was completed for the day and students were released.
Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer at the scene said a 16-year-old driver of a black pickup truck turned south on Cedar Avenue from Tulare at a high rate of speed and lost control, jumping the curb on Cedar and taking out a bus stop.
“He ended up running into a bus stop where there were about 20 kids waiting for a bus — high school students, and 11 of those students have been transported via ambulance to three different hospitals,” Dyer said.
“Fortunately their injuries were not severe.”
Dyer said the driver of the truck left the scene and was picked up by another person.
Officers learned of this and made a traffic stop nearby at Cesar Chavez Boulevard and Orange Avenue, where they took the hit-and-run suspect into custody. The driver of the vehicle was being questioned by officers.
Police closed off the intersection of Cedar and Tulare avenues, with southbound Cedar blocked to Platt Avenue and eastbound Tulare closed at 11th Street.
Several police units and ambulances responded to the scene.
About 40 students and some parents who remained at the scene appeared to be saddened by the crash, with some in tears and others getting consoled.
Fresno City Councilmember Luis Chavez, who represents the southeast area, lives a couple blocks from the campus and also arrived at the scene soon after the crash.
“I actually heard the accident,” he said. “It was just one of those really hard-hitting, steel-on-steel (sounds). About two minutes later I started getting a flood of calls and texts from parents worried about their child.”
Chavez said teachers from Roosevelt came over to help the kids who were injured along with first responders.
“Me being a Roosevelt grad, this is very near and dear to me,” Chavez said.
“It hits home. But luckily — I’m sad because this happened — but I’m also happy and thankful, and tonight we’ll say a prayer for all those kids that were injured, that none of those kids were unfortunately killed.”
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