Three students were injured and taken to a local hospital after they were hit crossing El Camino Real in Sunnyvale on Monday morning. The crash happened at the intersection of El Camino Real and Poplar Avenue around 7:37 a.m. It’s about two-tenths of a mile from Peterson Middle School.
According to a post on the NextDoor app by Sunnyvale Vice Mayor Russell Melton, “The three students were treated on scene by DPS Fire and County Paramedics. All three were conscious and oriented when transported to [a local hospital].”
Melton continued to say one student suffered a possible concussion, one had a compound fracture of the lower leg/ankle and one student had a compound fracture of the lower leg.
“The driver was cooperative and did remain at the scene and there is no suspected drugs or alcohol as a collision factor,” said Captain Ava Fannuchi of Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety (DPS).
Fannuchi says the investigation is ongoing.
Parents of students at Peterson Middle School say they have repeatedly contacted the City of Sunnyvale and DPS to talk about how dangerous the intersection of El Camino Real and Poplar Avenue is for students headed to school.
There are currently no crossing guards at the intersection.
“We are always evaluating where we place crossing guards at intersections, so we will continue to do that,” said Fannuchi. “We always encourage parents to speak with their children about safety when walking or biking anywhere within the City but also to and from school.”
Melton and City Manager Kent Steffens were expected to talk to parents on Oct. 29, but postponed that meeting to find a larger venue. The date and time are to be determined. Until then, community members are invited to attend the regular City Council meeting Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
“We are incredibly thankful that the accident was not worse,” said Santa Clara Unified School District Public Information Officer Jennifer Dericco. “We are in communication with the City of Sunnyvale about the safety concerns at El Camino Real and Poplar Avenue and it is our understanding that they intend to hold a public meeting at a future date and time.
“Yes, some students did, unfortunately, witness the accident,” Dericco continued. “We offer on-campus counseling services for any student that needs support. Our staff is monitoring students and referring them to the school’s Wellness Center as needed. Families may also let the office know directly if they feel their child can use counseling support.”
One parent told The Weekly that over a year ago parents were asked to fill out a City survey for the Vision Zero plan. He says many of the parents mentioned the problems at the intersection.
Sunnyvale’s Vision Zero plan was approved at the end of July of this year. The Vision Zero plan is designed to make City streets safer for bicyclists and pedestrians.
The intersection where this latest accident occurred is in what Sunnyvale has deemed the High Injury Network, a collection of roads that Sunnyvale has determined the most vehicle versus pedestrian or bicyclist collisions occur.
In September, the City of Sunnyvale implemented a 15 miles per hour rule around the City’s 16 public schools. However, this intersection is too far away from the school to be affected by the change.
I am a student that used to go to Peterson middle school and go to Starbucks almost everyday after school. One day when I was in sixth grade it was time for me to walk across, and I was almost to the middle when someone in a van decided to run a red light. I almost got hit by the car and then ran back to the sidewalk. I was so thankful my science teacher was leaving school and saw what happened. She drove slowly so I can walk across safely.
I love you the name Ky-Ky
Due to the expected overwhelming turnout the meeting at the ECR & Poplar Starbucks has been cancelled. Instead they say there will be a townhall in the future.
IM MADISONS AND MARYANNS BESTFRIENDS THEY GOT HIT BY A CAR I KNOW THEM 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
My oldest child started at Peterson 9 years ago, at which time I joined a committee to study the safety of this intersection. Six year later when my 3rd child started at Peterson, the committees were ongoing, parents were still up in arms, and still nothing was being done. What will it take to get some action on this? Those in charge who have ignored the pleas for years and years are responsible for the horrible accident today at Poplar and ECR. PLEASE DO SOMETHING!!
I go to Peterson and i am in sixth grade i am Maryann and keenas and madisons Friend i cryed be care ful
At least daily in Sunnyvale i see drivers run red lights. Make left hand turns from far right lanes. Cut people off you off without signals. ast breake and turn in parking lots without signals. Roll thru a light with a right turn against a red. California needs stricter driver’s education and licensing laws. People are allowed to only drive with a permit for like two weeks before they can get a real license. Its way too short. They need more student driving hours. And ppl put STUDENT DRIVER on their back window and expect you to look out for their poor driving. Red means stop! Unfortunately we don’t have enough police officers to cover our over populated community, We keep building apartments and housing but we need to add officers to the population/ratio of people. The city needs to address it.
When Sunnyvale’s City Council approved the Vision Zero plan in July, they declined to incorporate biennial progress reports or rapid safety prototyping. This was soon after two teens had been struck by cars. Vice Mayor Melton moved to amend the Vision Zero proposal to water down the language that “safety takes priority over efficiency” as many of our city’s leaders were concerned that traffic not be slowed. Councilmember Nancy Smith dissented and voted against weakening the Vision Zero policy.
Maybe the Council and City Mgr need to be reminded about what happen nine months ago before Covid-19 S-in-P changed what had been the normal traffic, pedestrian and bicyclist quality of life…So when is the phone call into the City Mgr? Thur or Fri AM?
That area is very dangerous. Not just the intersection but the whole block with no STOP signs. People drive crazy and forget there’s students walking and biking. Don’t be afraid to call people out. It could’ve been YOUR child! Who’s in for a strike? Waking sound intersections with signe that say “ STOP Let me cross safely”
Hi,
I’m the chair of Sunnyvale’s Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC). I can’t speak on behalf of the commission, but speaking for myself I’d urge residents who are concerned at the safety of our streets to keep attending Sunnyvale council meetings and speaking out. You can contact the BPAC to express your concerns at bpac AT sunnyvale.ca.gov, and city council at council AT sunnyvale.ca.gov. You can also reach out to me personally at rmehlinger AT gmail dot com Please also consider attending our next BPAC meeting on Thursday, Nov 21, at 6:30 pm at the Sunnyvale City Council Chambers.
The city is also working on an Active Transportation Plan, which will include the Safe Routes to School program. You can find out more about that here: https://sunnyvale.ca.gov/news/topics/atp/default.htm
It’s so sad and I saw one of them at school today and they said she and one other person are fine now. I don’t know about the third. People should mind their driving!!!
I attend the school and I think this is absurd. I once almost got hit by a car as well after it ran a red light, luckily I dodged it and jumped back in time like one of the students in this accident. When I heard the news in the morning I was shocked. And the worst part is, the school has done nothing about it. I thought they would at least do an assembly telling us if the students are okay to make sure we aren’t relying on gossip, but I was proven wrong. It’s been 3 days since the incident and no one has said anything, not even a simple email saying that everyone is okay. I know that a ton of people were worried, I had peers crying in my classes about their friends and their wellbeing. And then there’s the drivers. There should 100% be a cross-guard at that intersection, as a lot of kids walk to school there. Like, for example, Laurelwood has a cross-guard that is there every morning from about 7:30 till 3:30. Im extremely disappointed in my school and in the drivers.
First of all very few people in Bay Area don’t honk when an idiot is driving recklessly around them, thus letting the idiot think they can get away with it. Many times I honk when drivers around me are at risk and don’t acknowledge it themselves.It seems to me if cops would be around to give tickets for driving errors the DMV would flunk you with , more of these type of drivers would push the limits.Many other states make bonuses for their police departments that way, I say good since I’m tired of explaining to my new teenage drivers why some of these people can get away with constant deliberate violations.
I go to Peterson but I cross on a more dangerous one El Camino/Henderson.
I go to this school, I’m an 8th grader. The students that were hit were in grades 6th and 7th. Both the 6th graders are back but the 7th header had major bone damage to his leg. He was taken to the hospital but that was last we heard of him. Haven’t seen him at school since.