Driver, 17, charged in Rocky Ridge pedestrian collision that broke 2 girls' bones

Second time in less than a month that a pair of siblings has been struck at a north-Calgary crosswalk

Image | Pedestrians hit Rocky Ridge

Caption: A police van parked at the scene of the collision where two girls were hit by a vehicle and sent to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. (Allison Dempster/CBC)

A 17-year-old driver has been charged for failing to yield to pedestrians after he allegedly hit two girls walking in a crosswalk in Rocky Ridge this morning, breaking their bones in the collision.
Police said the girls, aged 11 and 14, are sisters and one suffered a broken leg while the other suffered a broken wrist.
The collision happened around 7:45 a.m. at the intersection of Rocky Ridge Close and Rocky Ridge Boulevard N.W.
Police said the driver remained at the scene.
Paramedics took the girls to hospital and described their injuries as non-life-threatening.
Heidi Kostick, who lives in the area and was walking nearby shortly after the collision, said she was saddened but not surprised to hear the children had been hit.
"We deal with this type of issue, with pedestrian safety at crosswalks, often in our community," she said.

Image | Heidi Kostick Rocky Ridge pedestrians hit

Caption: Heidi Kostick says it's difficult for drivers to see in the dark on the morning commute at the intersection where two girls were struck, and vision can also obscured on the afternoon commute by the setting sun. (Allison Dempster/CBC)

Kostick said the area needs better lighting and signage at crosswalks, and drivers need to slow down and pay better attention.
"Even as an adult, crossing with my children, I find it difficult," she said.
"We have a lot of speeders. It's also difficult to see in the morning when it's dark, and then going the other way when the sun is rising — it's difficult to see."

Second pair of kids hit

It's the second time in less than a month that a pair of kids has been struck during the morning commute in Calgary.
On Nov. 20 around 7:30 a.m, a brother and sister were walking in a crosswalk in Beddington Heights and suffered serious injuries when they were hit by the driver of a pickup truck.
That driver fled the scene and has yet to be caught by police.