LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Another child is fighting for his life after being hit by a suspected drunk driver while walking to school Friday morning.
It happened just before 8 a.m. near the intersection of Owens and 21st Street, just to the northeast of Rancho High School.
WATCH | What we know about the collision's details
Metro Police say the 12-year-old boy who was hit was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The driver left the scene, but was found shortly after and arrested by officers on suspicion of DUI and hit and run charges.
Metro Deputy Chief Jose Hernandez told reporters Friday morning incidents like this are happening way too often, and the department is taking a "zero tolerance approach" to unsafe driving.
"That means if you're speeding, if you're not paying attention, if you're running red lights, you will be stopped and you will be cited," Hernandez said. "If you flee from the scene of a collision, we will find you."
This latest incident is part of a growing pattern in our community, which has escalated the conversation about road safety in the valley, especially near our schools.
The stretch of 21st Street where the 12-year-old was hit on Friday morning turns into McDaniel Street north of Owens, and passes three schools in just a couple of blocks: Rancho High School, JD Smith Middle School and CP Squires Elementary School.
Neighbors nearby say they want to see safer streets, and are heartbroken that this happened in their community.
WATCH | Community members speak out about road safety
"It's really bad to hear that it's a kid run over by a drunk driver," said Manuel Martinez. "It's not good."
Martinez has lived in this neighborhood for 10 years, and sees firsthand the dangers students face with careless drivers every single day.
"Please slow down all the time, and drive safely for the good of everybody," Martinez said. "I don't like to see this thing happen."
Neither does Krista Holloway, one of the founders of WalkSafelyLV, an organization advocating for road safety around schools.
"I would like to say I'm shocked, but I'm not," Holloway told Channel 13, in reaction to Friday's crash. "I'm very saddened by it — the lack of the responsibility people are taking while driving is heart-wrenching."
WalkSafelyLV was formed by a group of concerned parents following the death of McKenzie Scott, an 18-year-old student who was hit and killed by a suspected drunk driver while walking in a crosswalk outside of Arbor View High School back in May, just weeks from her graduation.
In the months that followed, those parents took matters into their own hands, serving as temporary crossing guards outside of Arbor View while pushing the City of Las Vegas for more permanent protective measures.
This summer the city listened, installing additional safety enhancements — like pedestrian-activated crosswalk flashers and improved signage — and adding Arbor View to its pilot program testing out the effectiveness of crossing guards outside of high schools, joining Cimarron-Memorial and Palo Verde.
Holloway says the addition of crossing guards outside of Arbor View has been successful.
"Absolutely," she told Channel 13. "The amount of parents that thank us and wave at us in the morning, and the students that thank us, it's beneficial for sure."
Neighbors near where the 12-year-old was hit on Friday morning say adding more crossing guards around the area could be a big help.
"They really need it, there are a lot of kids that cross around 7 a.m. and 2 p.m.," Manuel Martinez said. "They should have people."
Decisions on crossing guards are up to each individual jurisdiction, though, and not up to the Clark County School District.
Where Friday's crash happened is right on the border between Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, and the 12-year-old was likely heading to Smith Middle School, which is located in North Las Vegas.
I've reported extensively about the City of Las Vegas' crossing guard program, so I reached out to North Las Vegas officials to learn more about theirs.
A North Las Vegas spokesperson tells me that last year they joined other local governments in expanding their crossing guard program to include all middle schools, in addition to all elementary schools.
In fact, I saw it for myself — there was a crossing guard right outside of Smith Middle School, just a few blocks north from where the 12-year-old was hit Friday morning.
However, crossing guards do not operate outside of high schools in North Las Vegas — similar to most other jurisdictions in Southern Nevada — and a spokesperson tells me there are currently no discussions to expand their crossing guard program to include high schools, adding that parents can speak to their child's school about any safety concerns they have.
In the meantime, advocates and officers agree that it takes all of us to make sure kids get to and from school safely.
"We need our community to step up," Krista Holloway said. "Just like they said in the press conference this morning, we need the community's help — Metro can't do it alone."
"Help us reduce fatalities," LVMPD Deputy Chief Jose Hernandez said. "Help us save lives, even if it's your own."
As the push for safer school routes continues, Channel 13 wants to make sure your voices are heard.
If you see problems around schools in your neighborhood, you can email your concerns to me at Guy.Tannenbaum@ktnv.com.