A pick-up truck drove over the leg of a child July 18 at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 11th Street SE.
Police were called to the scene at around 10:30 a.m. Sunday morning. The child was riding his bike across the street north to south, accompanied by a parent and one other child.
The driver of a small blue pick up headed in the same direction turned into the Southeast lane, hitting the 10-year-old child on his bicycle.
“I don’t know how [the driver] didn’t see him,” one witness said.
Witnesses said the truck was travelling at a relatively slow speed, and stopped while the child’s leg was pinned under the front driver’s side tire. The driver backed to free the child, who was transported to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
One witness said that the intersection is a terrible hazard, particularly when vehicles make a turn onto Pennsylvania Avenue. He said that signals controlling turns or a turning lane are sorely needed.
He said he had witnessed two car crashes in the last week, and even as an adult he fears crossing there, although it is necessary as he travels to and from work daily.
The Pennsylvania Avenue Corridor is currently the subject of a transportation study. The project is intended to improve safety and mobility for bicyclists, pedestrians, transit and vehicular travel. A full design is not expected until 2022 with installation of improvements from Second to 13th Streets SE set for later that year. Improvements for Phase 2 (13th Street to Barney Circle) are not slated until 2024-25.
According to District data, 2,426 crashes involving injuries have been reported so far this year. 23 people have died in a traffic accident.
