Girl, 7, Fatally Struck By Car On Her Way To School In Hesperia

HESPERIA (CBSLA.com) — A 7-year-old girl was fatally struck by a car on her way to school in Hesperia.

The incident happened around 8:30 a.m. Thursday in the 18000 block of Sycamore Street, near Peach Avenue.

Deputies said Taylor Chriswell was crossing Peach Avenue with classmates to get to the school bus stop when she was hit by a 2002 Chevrolet Impala.

The young girl suffered major injuries and was airlifted to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where she later died.

The driver of the Impala, who stopped after the accident, was not hurt. Police said alcohol and/or speed do not appear to be a factor in the crash.

Gabby, 10, was friends with Chriswell.

"She's funny and she likes to play around and she also likes to make jokes," she said.

Gabby told KCAL9's Crystal Cruz that she uses the same school bus stop with her friends.

"I tell them to look both ways just in case and then we just cross over real quick and run," she said.

Cruz reports that some parents in the area are demanding city leaders install a crosswalk or a stop sign at the bus stop on Peach Avenue.

"This street is probably one of the most dangerous streets in our city because there are a lot of blind corners and people usually push the speed limit just a little bit," Heather Wingo said.

Asked why more safety measures haven't been taken at the bus stop, city spokeswoman Rachel Molina wrote, "The Hesperia City Council and staff were saddened to hear of the tragic loss of a young student from our community today. The City does not determine school bus stop locations, which often change from one school year to the next. That determination is made by the Hesperia Unified School District. Peach Avenue is an arterial in Hesperia, and it would not be appropriate to place a four-way stop at each intersecting street."

David McLaughlin, the superintendent of the Hesperia Unified School District, was not available for an on-camera interview, but told Cruz via phone that the district will take a look at their bus stops carefully, but it's almost impossible not to have them on busy streets.