MADISON, Wis. — Jessica Zingg, mother to a 7th grader at Toki Middle School, has a message to drivers after witnessing her daughter nearly get hit by a car as she was coming off a school bus Thursday.
“It was her first day. As the bus was coming to a stop, we saw a car attempting to go around. The next thing you know, she comes into the street and the car almost hits her,” Zingg said. “When you see these buses stopped, just stop. You can’t be in that much of a hurry that you’re putting somebody’s child’s life in danger.”
Witnessing such a scary moment is the reason she is urging drivers to pay attention and slow down. She’s not the only one.
“It’s important for drivers to be mindful but also for kids to be mindful too,” said UW Health’s Child Advocacy Program Manager Rishelle Eithun. “To walk on those crosswalks. If you’re riding a bike, using your bike helmet. Being safe and trying to understand the rules of the road also would be really helpful.”
Eithun’s job for the last 13 years has been to keep kids out of the hospital. Working in injury prevention, she sees these run-ins more often than she’d like.
“Those are somebody’s children,” Eithun said. “I have young boys at home and I would definitely want to make sure they would be safe riding the bus coming home from school or going to school.”
She’s also encouraging parents to talk to your kids about looking both ways and not just running across the street.
“Kids can be kind of impulsive sometimes and maybe if they’re coming off, and they’re supposed to go toward the side of the side of the road but sometimes they go more towards the middle. So I think just being more mindful,” Eithun said.
Zingg hopes her message is heard loud and clear so no other parents have to witness the same scare that she did.
“When you see buses, drive like your kid is getting off of it.”
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