A student was struck by a car on the Old Post Road on Monday, March 10th. The following statement was released by Rye Police Commissioner William R. Connors in relation to the incident:
POLICE DEPARTMENT City of Rye, New York 21 McCullough Place Rye, N. Y. 10580 Phone: (914) 967-1234 FAX: (914) 967-8341
William R. Connors Police Commissioner
March 10, 2008
To the Rye School Community:
As many of you are aware, an eighth grade student was struck by a vehicle while she was on her way to school this morning. Although the accident is still under investigation, I am writing to ensure that the school community is apprised of the information that is available.
At approximately 7:55 A.M. this morning, the student was walking east on Old Post Road and began crossing Boston Post Road when she was struck by a southbound car. That vehicle was being driven by a local resident who had just taken his children to school. We requested the Westchester County Police Department’s Accident Investigation Unit to investigate the incident. Although all information is preliminary pending the outcome of that investigation, we do not have reason at this time to believe that excessive speed was a factor, and this appears to be simply a terrible accident.
Some news accounts reportedly described the driver as being "in custody." That is simply not correct. The driver was not at any time in police custody; no charges have been filed against him, and unless the accident investigation results in information contrary to our initial accounts, we do not anticipate filing charges.
Over the longer term, the City of Rye and the Rye City School District have been actively engaged in pedestrian safety and traffic improvements at all of the campus locations. These joint efforts have prioritized a list of projects which have been forwarded through the Temporary Trailways & Traffic Safety Committee for action.
The first phase of implementing these projects is the submission of a Safe Routes to School Grant application which will be submitted with the assistance of the Rye YMCA and the Activate America program on April 1.
The re-design of the Boston Post Road to include a "diet" restriction for travel lanes is also being developed for City Council approval later this spring. This project has been fully funded by the /City Council for 2008, and is scheduled for the summer construction season.
The City of Rye Traffic and Transportation Committee has also been actively engaged in pedestrian safety and school campus improvements and has been supported by the City in engaging professional traffic engineering services for improvements to existing facilities in 2000, as well as updating the study in 2007.
As in any traffic accident, a full reconstruction of the events will help to determine appropriate public safety and physical improvements. In the interim, however, this accident is a reminder to pedestrians, motorists, and parents to always use caution, particularly in the vicinity of schools.
Very truly yours,
WRC/wrc William R. Connors
Police Commissioner
