Two eighth-grade boys remained in a hospital in stable condition Tuesday evening after a car struck them in a crosswalk while they were on their way to school that morning.
Northglenn police Cmdr. Ian Lopez said the boys, ages 13 and 14, probably will remain in the hospital for several days.
The two were crossing East 112th Avenue on their way to Northglenn Middle School at roughly 7:40 a.m.
“The exact circumstances are still under investigation, but it appears they were crossing the intersection southbound and were struck by a vehicle going eastbound,” Lopez said.
The incident occurred at Larson Drive, roughly three blocks north of the school in an area bordered by houses and a small park.
There are no stop signs for traffic on East 112th, although there are two pedestrian signs and a school-zone sign, which decreases the speed limit to 20 mph when lights are flashing.
Barbara Nevarez, who lives nearby, said the lights are always flashing when she takes her granddaughter to school.
“The intersection is horrible,” said Julie Ruiz, whose daughter attends Northglenn. “It’s fast, there are lots of people, and they’re not stopping for our kids. It’s been like this for quite some time, and it’s important that we take action.”
Ruiz stood at the intersection after school Tuesday waving a sign that read: “Kids Crossing, School Zone, Slow Down.”
“I come through this intersection every day, and I’ve seen kids nearly get hit,” she said. “It was just a matter of time, unfortunately. There’s no monitoring, and a lot of time the kids think people are stopping, but then they don’t. I’m going to be here every day until they slow down.”
Katie Kenyon, whose son and niece attend Northglenn Middle School, has witnessed similar occurrences.
“Kids will stand there waiting to cross, and the cars just keep going,” she said. “I think a stoplight should be put in. Especially in the mornings, it’s a really busy intersection.”
Paul O’Neil, who lives nearby on East 111th Place, has a different opinion. “I’ve been there for 10 years, and usually everybody stops for kids,” he said. “I’ve never seen a wreck or an accident.”
After the boys were struck, counseling teams were at the school, according to Melissa Hoelting, a spokeswoman for the Adams 12 Five Star school district.
The driver, a 24-year-old man whose name has not been released, was cooperating with police.
Northglenn police are asking anyone who witnessed the incident to call 303-450-8893.
Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671, tmcghee@denverpost.com or .
