‘We need to get something changed before we have someone get seriously injured or even killed.’”

Jay Bombardier

By DANIEL KITTREDGE

An 11-year-old pedestrian suffered non-life threatening injuries after being struck by a city vehicle driven by a city employee near Bain Middle School on Sept. 19, according to Cranston Police.

The girl – identified as a student at Bain – was transported to Hasbro Children’s Hospital after the accident and was listed in stable condition, police said.

Meanwhile, the driver – who was not identified – received four traffic citations, including for failure to yield the right of way for a pedestrian in a crosswalk and failure to obey a traffic control device.

The driver of the vehicle is said to have remained at the scene and been cooperative with police. No criminal charges have been filed, and police said impairment does not appear to have been a factor in the accident.

The incident occurred at approximately 7:23 a.m. at the intersection of Trainor Street and Gansett Avenue.

Officers arriving at the scene are said to have found the injured girl, who “reported being injured as a result of being struck by a Ford F-150 pickup.” That truck was then identified as a city vehicle, and its operator as a city employee.

Police say an investigation found that the girl and another Bain student were walking to school, heading south on Gansett Avenue, when they reached the Trainor Street intersection.

As they began to cross the street in a marked crosswalk, the pickup truck – which was traveling north on Gansett Avenue – is said to have “suddenly turned left onto Trainor Street and struck the 11-year-old victim.” The second juvenile saw the truck coming and was able to avoid being hit, police said.

Police noted that access onto Trainer Street from Gansett Avenue is prohibited from 7-9 a.m. and 2-4 p.m. on weekdays. The restriction is “clearly marked,” police said.

During Monday’s meeting of the City Council, several speakers and officials referenced the accident and spoke of the need for action to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Ward 3 School Committee member Paul Archetto said ongoing work on the bridge carrying Park Avenue over the Pocasset River near Dyer Avenue – and the resulting detour, which is meant to take vehicles to Cranston Street – has produced additional traffic using Trainor Street as a cut-through.

“We really need to address the issue of the influx of traffic around Bain,” he said, urging police, the city’s administration and the council to work with the school district on the matter.

Domenic Fusco, who previously represented Ward 3 on the School Committee, called for an additional police presence to enforce restrictions outlined in signage during school hours.

“A lot of people in Ward 3 feel like they’re being neglected … We need to show them that we care before somebody gets killed,” he said.

Jay Bombardier also said traffic in the area has long been an issue.

“This is something that I saw coming, and many people in the area saw coming …We need to get something changed before we have someone get seriously injured or even killed,” he said.

Ward 3 Councilman John Donegan also addressed the issue.

“This is an issue that I bring up every month, for however many months I’ve been on the council … Something needs to be done,” he said.