NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — A Pasco County high school student remained in the hospital Tuesday, almost a week after being hit by a car outside Gulf High School in New Port Richey.
The student, a 15-year-old freshman known by friends as Jeffery, was hit at the intersection of Madison Street and School Road in New Port Richey before the sun came up last Wednesday.
The student’s mother has started an online petition asking the school district to change school hours or provide busing to all students.
“We are pulling for Jeffery and we understand that his mother is distraught about the accident and her son’s injuries. We are, too,” the school district said in an emailed statement to 10News. “We hope the petition results in legislative action to change laws and rules to fully fund student transportation.”
Investigators with New Port Richey Police say they are certain that Jeffery was not in a crosswalk when he was hit by the car. They also say speed was not a factor in the accident, but that has not stopped them from having units at the intersection before and after school pulling drivers over and making sure that safety is on everyone’s mind.
“They should have done this many years ago, and I just hope that this isn’t a flash in the pan where they don’t come back and do it again,” said Harry Fox, a neighbor who lives on a corner at the intersection. “They’ve got an amber flashing light down there and an amber flashing light up there during school hours and the people just don’t seem to pay much attention to it. They just keep right on going by beyond the speed limit.”
“The increased attention to this issue, our officers this morning had extra time, they weren’t handling calls for service, so they went and hit both schools,” said New Port Richey Police Chief Kim Bogart. “I think there’s a heightened awareness with everyone. This is a very unfortunate situation and there’s a victim in this case that’s in very serious condition. And a lot of our officers, they have children of all different ages, and it’s not just on officers’ minds, it’s also on citizens’ minds, the parents who are dropping their kids off at school or walking their kids to school. I think it’s on everyone’s mind right now.”
And while investigators say speed was not a factor in the accident, they say darkness was a factor.
City officials say they are working to proactively improve lighting at the intersection by doubling the wattage of the street lights and trimming trees for better light.
The city also sped up plans that were already in place to install an LED-lit crosswalk at that intersection.
The driver in that accident has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
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