In what continues to be a disturbing trend, a Central Florida student was struck and killed walking to her bus stop in Marion County on Monday.
At least three Central Florida students were killed last school year walking or biking to class. And more were killed in car accidents.
The student, 18-year-old Shannon Rushing, was a senior at Forest High School in Ocala. She was struck and killed walking to her bus stop in northwest Ocala.
The Ocala Police Department said late Monday morning that the investigation was still ongoing.
“We are heartbroken with this news and are supporting the family and school community during this difficult time,” OPD said in a Facebook post.
School counselors in the district, where she attended elementary, middle and high school, have described Rushing as “personable, bubbly, and well liked by many.”
Rushing was someone who always encouraged others with her positive outlook, and had just joined a club at her school for Christian students who want to grow in their faith and share fellowship.
In a statement, the district said, “grief counselors are at the school to help students and staff deal with this tragedy. They will remain on campus as long as needed.”
AAA’s Mark Jenkins said Rushing’s death is a stark reminder to pay attention driving to work or school especially in the dark, early, fall mornings.
“Remain alert to minimize distractions, while behind the wheel, make sure you’re constantly scanning the road for pedestrians,” Jenkins said. “You could have animals wandering into the road. You just never really know when you're going to need to slam on those breaks, and if you're not paying attention, then you're not going to be able to react as quickly.”
Jenkins said, for drivers who pass school routes or bus stops on their daily commute, slowing down and paying attention is a non-negotiable, at all times.
“If you know that your morning commute takes you past bus stops, you encounter a lot of foot traffic, school zones, what have you, it's extremely important to slow down and stay alert while behind the wheel,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said it’s also crucial for parents to walk younger kids to school, if they’re not taking the bus or being driven in.
And for the older kids, he said parents should emphasize the importance of paying attention even if it’s a route you’ve walked every day of your life.
Jenkins said October always poses extra challenges for young people and cars, as it’s Halloween season, when kids are trick-or-treating or trunk-or-treating, sometimes in dark-colored costumes, darting in between cars, without parental supervision.
This was not a factor at all in Rushing’s death, but Jenkins said the holiday-specific warning bears repeating ahead of Halloween night on Friday.
A disturbing trend
Rushing’s death was the first pedestrian fatality of a Central Florida student this school year.
Last school year, a Polk County high school student was killed on his e-bike, an Orange County high school student was killed walking to school, and an Orange County elementary student was killed after being run over by a school bus.
Local students were killed in deadly car crashes, behind the wheel, too.
Orange County high schoolers were killed in two high-speed car crashes last school year. Over the weekend, just a day before Rushing’s death, a 17-year-old from Orlando was killed when he lost control of his car, and the car ran into a tree.
Experts say a deadly combination of distracted drivers and pedestrians are to blame for rising student pedestrian fatalities in Central Florida, along with a lack of road safety measures for pedestrians in the area.
The Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metropolitan area, although improving, still ranks in the top twenty deadliest metropolitan areas in the country, according to Smart Growth America’s yearly report, “Dangerous by Design.”
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach comes in at number five for pedestrian fatalities. Lakeland-Winter Haven is No. 21.
Need some tips for safer commutes to school? Click here.
