San Marcos Student Hit Near Dangerous Intersection; don’t expect it to survive

A San Marcos student is clinging to life tonight after being struck by a vehicle.

The crash happened around 6:30 a.m. Thursday morning at the intersection of Rancho Santa Fe Road and San Marcos Boulevard, next to San Marcos High School.

The San Marcos Unified School District said the family does not expect their daughter to survive.

“I can personally say that this news is so sudden and saddening that it will undoubtedly have an impact on all of us,” said Superintendent Dr. Andy Johnson. “In response, and to help us all cope with today’s event, we have our crisis and counseling teams supporting our SMHS community. Should you or your student require support, your school administration will ensure you are connected to the necessary support on your campus.”

According to SANDAG data, the intersection near where the student was hit is known to be one of Marcos High Schools.

SUNDAY

First, pedestrian fatalities are increasing, both locally and across our country.

Laura Keenan, co-founder of Families for Safe Streets San Diego Chapter, said, “Pedestrian deaths are increasing both locally and across our country.”

Families for Safe Streets San Diego Chapter supports families who have lost loved ones or survived traffic accidents.

Keenan said that according to a UC Berkeley report, 258 people died on the streets of San Diego last year, 83 of them pedestrians.

“These deaths are preventable, and because they are often one-time events, I don’t think our society pays much attention to them,” Keenan said.

Keenan said the leading causes of pedestrian accidents are:

• Vehicles are getting bigger, making it harder to see people walking
• Vehicle collides with pedestrians near their heart area, making it fatal
• Night and twilight hours
• Street lighting
• Street design

Keenan said improving each of these causes will benefit everyone: “We know that when we make streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists, who we consider our most vulnerable road users, it makes streets safer for everyone, including drivers. “