A reminder to use extra caution and slow down around our local schools and buses.
By John Hummer
Editor
A school crossing guard and three students crossing Main Street in Onsted were struck by a motorist earlier this month while the crossing guard attempted to stop traffic.
Kimberly Sue Stark, of Brooklyn, the crossing guard, was injured and transported by Lenawee County Ambulance to Henry Ford Allegiance Health in Jackson where she was treated for injuries and subsequently released. The three students were not injured, according to the Cambridge Township police report.
“She bounced off the hood and the windshield [of the car that hit her] pretty hard,” said Cambridge Township Police Chief Jeff Paterson of Stark getting hit, adding that her impact shattered the windshield and gave her a concussion.” Prior to getting struck, Stark tried to push the students to safety out of the way of the oncoming car, he said.
The incident occurred at 3:09 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 16, when a car driven by Dayne Matthew Bohn of Haslett, a 2019 Chevrolet Trax, began to turn southbound (left) onto Main Street from the westbound Slee Road stop sign when he struck Stark and the three students. Stark had north and southbound traffic stopped with a handheld stop sign that lights up. Bohn came to an immediate stop where the crash occurred. (more below)
Paterson said no citations have been issued yet as the case must still go to the county prosecutor for review. “We’re knee-deep in the investigation we’ll be submitting to the prosecutor for charges,” he stated.
Paterson said the police department typically has an officer at that intersection directing traffic every morning. “We have our school resource officer there and I’m monitoring the crosswalks,” he noted.
“But on that particular day, our officer was on another call in the township,” Paterson continued. “That’s the problem we have. While the school is a priority, we also have to respond to other calls in the township, and we can’t always be there. If we can hold off a complaint, we hold it off. If we can’t, we can’t.”
The Cambridge Township Police Department was assisted by the Cambridge Township Fire Department and Lenawee County Ambulance at the scene.
Paterson would like to remind drivers to slow down around the school area, and be especially careful in the mornings and afternoons.
