Early Monday morning around 7:30 a.m. a car struck a 12-year-old girl while she, her twin sister and a friend were jaywalking. They crossed the road close to the intersection of Elmont Road and Village Avenue, near Martin De Porres School, which is about a block away. When the car hit Gabrielle Johnson, the impact threw her over the hood and about 100 feet behind the vehicle. Despite braking heavily, the car moved forward 20 feet before coming to a full stop.
Eye Witness News, ABC 7 NY reported that the driver was a 38-year-old man from Far Rockaway. He remained at the scene and tried to help the young girl. Emergency responders transported her to Franklin General Hospital where she died about an hour later. Witnesses report that the driver didn’t appear to be speeding and the speed limit is 30 miles per hour in this area. For purposes of determining the car’s speed at the time of the accident, police are still investigating because the damage to the car was considerable.
Students interviewed by Eyewitness News said this crossing is a shortcut students often use when walking to school. However, there is no crossing guard stationed there.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motor vehicle injuries are a leading cause of children’s death in our nation.
Certainly, all traffic deaths are tragic, but when a young person dies unexpectedly, it is virtually heartbreaking for family members.