Truck driver arrested after two students, both 16, were seriously injured when they were allegedly struck outside a high school
- Two 16-year-olds seriously injured in accident
- Boy and girl allegedly beaten outside Adelaide secondary school
- Truck driver arrested and charged Wednesday
A driver has been arrested after two students were seriously injured after they were allegedly struck by their truck outside an Adelaide secondary school.
The 16-year-olds, a girl and a boy, were allegedly struck down at a crosswalk outside Marryatville Secondary School in Kensington around 8am on Wednesday.
The teenagers were treated by paramedics at the scene before being taken by ambulance to the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
The girl is in serious condition, while the boy remains in critical condition. Marryatville High revealed that a third student was injured but is recovering at home.
A 60-year-old man was arrested by Major Crash investigators Wednesday and charged with two counts of causing injury by dangerous driving.
Prior to the arrest, police were investigating whether the truck might have run a red light before colliding with the teens, the Advertiser reports.
The two 16-year-olds, a girl and a boy, were struck down at a crosswalk outside Marryatville Secondary School in Kensington shortly after 8am on Wednesday.
Superintendent Kameniar called the incident a “tragedy” for the community.
‘Decision making takes a fraction of a second and this is where we end up. We need people to pay attention to the messages, not drive like idiots on our roads,” he said.
“There are certain things that will never leave someone’s mind and seeing something as horrendous as what happened this morning is one of those things.”
The truck is believed to have been delivering goods at the time of the accident.
Police say three of the four traffic lights at the crosswalk were “clearly visible” despite some fallen branches and debris from a recent storm.
One student described the 16-year-old girl involved as ‘quiet’ and ‘just nice’.
Senior Agent Rebecca Stokes said ABC Radio the incident occurred during school morning rush hour and had been witnessed by other students.
The students were treated by paramedics at the scene before being rushed to Royal Adelaide Hospital by ambulance with serious injuries (Pictured police officers on scene)
“It happened just after 8 a.m., very busy school hours and I understand they were walking to a nearby school,” Trooper Stokes said.
“It was a very busy time there, and it was witnessed by many people, including many children from the nearby school, so it was an extremely traumatic incident.”
Marryatville High is said to care about the students who witnessed the accident, and students are given the choice of leaving school early or seeking counseling services.
Kensington Road has been closed to all traffic between Portrush Road and Hackett Terrace while emergency services remain on site.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or has dash cam footage that could help police has been asked to contact Crime Stoppers.
