BROKEN ARROW, Okla. -- Student safety is top of mind in Broken Arrow after four students were hit by cars since the start of the school year.
Just four weeks ago, a student was hit and killed here at the intersection of Memphis and Main. There isn't a crosswalk at the intersection. But now, police are making parents and students aware of the dangers of crossing the street without a crosswalk.
As tires buzz by through school zones in Broken Arrow, kids and parents are a little more on edge. Since the beginning of the August, there have been several incidents of kids getting hit on their way to and from school.
"When it comes down to it, drivers need to be cautious at all times," Creekwood Early Childhood Center parent Stephanie McConnell said. "You never know when someone could run out there."
McConnell crosses this crosswalk daily. She says her 5-year-old son likes to ride his bike to school. McConnell says the narrow lined path is a saving grace.
"Last year I wanted to walk more, but there wasn't a crosswalk," she said. "It's so dangerous that the times that we did, because my son would beg to do it, it kind of felt like I was doing real life Frogger."
The Broken Arrow Police Department and school district want the public to understand pedestrian safety, so they're creating a video program for students in class and a newsletter for parents.
"The motorists have a responsibility here as well," Broken Arrow Police Department Traffic Supervisor Sgt. Keith Cook said. "They need to be cognizant of the kids walking to and from school in the crosswalks. It is illegal to not yield to a pedestrian that's in the crosswalk.
If you don't, it will cost you $109.
"I've almost been run over, you know, a handful of times in my career by people just not paying attention," Broken Arrow Police Department spokesperson James Koch said. "I've had cars get close enough to me where I've slapped the car."
There are more than a hundred crosswalks throughout broken arrow. One is in front of Creekwood Early Childhood Center. Everyday a crossing guard makes sure kids get across safely.
Police are hoping for a movement, a movement towards safety.. so no more kids get hurt.
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