An investigation is underway in North County after a teenager was struck by a car near San Marcos High School on Thursday.
The student's family told the school district that she was not expected to survive her injuries.
In the wake of the incident, community members are raising safety concerns for students and other pedestrians at the intersection where this happened.
The San Diego Sherriff’s Department got a call just after 6:30 Thursday morning reporting that a teen had been hit by a car.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
According to the initial report from the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, the driver was traveling northbound on Rancho Santa Fe Road, approaching San Marcos Boulevard when the student was crossing the street and was hit. Fire crews were sent out and rendered aid, then took the 16-year-old girl to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with traffic investigators from the sheriff's department, who do not believe drugs or alcohol were a factor.
Chris Flores, who works at the auto shop near where the accident happened, said the intersection was closed for hours.
Local
“There were police cars all over and motorcycle police or sheriff, and also there were still kids coming and crossing the street,” Flores said.
Sandra Pavon said her son goes to school nearby. His family were considering allowing him to walk to school, but hearing about the tragedy is making them think twice.
“It’s really concerning and just frightening as a parent to let your kids walk to school,” Pavon said.
Pavon said it’s not unusual to see large crowds of students crossing the busy intersection before and after school. She’s not the only one feeling uneasy. She said some parents have shared on social media the changes they’d like to see.
“They’re saying like an inner pass, or like a bridge over the crosswalk or have somebody there kind of guiding traffic, because it is really a busy street,” Pavon said.
NBC 7 reached out to the city of San Marcos to ask what changes, if any, it is considering making to the intersection but has not yet heard.