Teen girl dies from getting hit by car in Colorado Springs
A Colorado Springs girl has become the sixth person killed in an auto-pedestrian accident within the city this year.
Police said Shara Anderson, 17, died Sunday, a day after being hit by a vehicle around 9 p.m. while walking her dog near the intersection of Pring Ranch Road and Purcell Drive on the city’s northeast side.
Police said Anderson, a student at nearby Sand Creek High School, was hit by a Mazda sedan driving southbound on Pring Ranch.
“They had the person lying on the sidewalk and the ambulance took (her) away,” said Fletcher Lance, a neighbor near the accident scene. “We didn’t know what happened to her until now. Sure am sorry to hear that.”
The driver has not been charged, police said. Officers said that alcohol, drugs and speed apparently are not factors in the accident, but the investigation continues.
While some neighbors said speeding is not a concern in the area, others disagree.
“The speed limit is 25 but I regularly see drivers going 40 and 50,” said Katie Griffeth, a neighbor. “I see it when I’m walking with my dog and daughter. There’s also a blind corner here and drivers can’t see people coming.”
Two more auto-pedestrian accidents were reported since the Saturday night incident. A woman was seriously hurt around 11 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of Academy Boulevard and Hancock Expressway. Witnesses said the driver had the right of way at the time.
Police also said a pedestrian suffered minor injuries Monday afternoon at the intersection of Nevada Avenue and Las Vegas Street, an area where two pedestrians previously died.
Most of the injuries and deaths in these cases, police said, could have been prevented if the victims and drivers had paid more attention to their surroundings.
“We don’t often have fatalities, but we have people with life-changing injuries,” said Lt. Howard Black. “It can change the lives of the victims and drivers for the rest of their lives. Drivers should not be distracted with cellphones or anything else. Pedestrians should cross at crosswalks in well-lighted areas.”
Police said there have been 27 traffic-related deaths in the city so far this year.
