A student athlete from Puyallup High School sustained serious injuries after being hit by a truck while on a cross-country team run. As per reports from both KIRO 7 and The Seattle Times, the incident occurred before 4 p.m. as the team was running along 2nd Ave NE in Puyallup and the injured runner was rushed to a local hospital following the accident. The 27-year-old driver of the truck, who was arrested on an unrelated misdemeanor for not having a required ignition interlock device, was found not to be impaired after police evaluation at the scene.
Residents in the community are showing a strong response, as the calamity struck close to home, in a neighborhood where "nearly every door has a kid that goes to that school," a fact emphasized by one local, Orth, while speaking to KING5. The Puyallup School District expressed its deep concern over the event, stating they are keeping the student and family in their thoughts during this trying time, Orth is set to attend, along with her children, a city council meeting to press for immediate traffic calming measures, saying, "We want to protect our neighbors and our children and our friends and our family that walk these streets every day."
Further details regarding the student's condition were provided by Capt. Kevin Gill to The Seattle Times, who indicated that the student required surgery, though specifics on the injuries were not disclosed.
During an upcoming city council meeting, members of the community, spurred forward by the recent event and current safety concerns, are expected to voice their demands for action, Orth including is bringing her school-aged daughters to illustrate the necessity of awareness among the youngest in the community about their environment, "They need to be aware of the dangers and what we can do with our voices so that this doesn't happen to someone else," she told KING5.
