After receiving multiple inquiries, the Canyon Independent School District released the following statement June 17 in regard to an accident involving a vehicle and pedestrian near West Plains High School that took place June 16:
“Monday morning, a West Plains High School student was leaving campus on foot and was struck by a vehicle while crossing Loop 335 in the crosswalk. We are grateful for the quick actions of first responders and we are keeping the student and family in our thoughts as they focus on recovery. Canyon ISD continues to work with TxDOT to improve traffic and pedestrian safety in this area.”
Multiple media outlets reported that Amarillo police officers responded around 8:30 a.m. Monday to the scene of the crash at Helium Road (or Loop 335) and Arden Road, where a small SUV hit a person crossing the road. The person, later identified as a Canyon ISD student, was hospitalized at the time with life-threatening injuries.
In addition, the Texas Department of Transportation of Amarillo said an evaluation for a possible signal light in the area is currently in its final stages, and they will release the results to the public once it’s finalized.
According to TxDOT’s website, when TxDOT receives a request for a new traffic signal on the state highway system, the local district office conducts an engineering and traffic study, and traffic conditions must meet at least one of nine minimum standards, also known as “warrants.” Examples of information used by traffic engineers to evaluate traffic signal requests include the amount of traffic, speed of traffic approaching the intersection, pedestrian activity, number of school children crossing the site, and crash history of the site.
According to previous reports, TxDOT planned to evaluate a new school traffic pattern at the intersection of Arden Road and SL 335 in August last year. TxDOT had also constructed a turnaround in between Arden and Hillside roads to alleviate traffic congestion and enhance safety on SL 335, providing drivers with an additional route to West Plains High School.
As reported in the Globe-News archives, SL 335 was originally supposed to utilize Soncy Road, but after multiple studies and input from the community and Amarillo Helium Plant historians on traffic and environmental impact, the Loop was diverted to Helium Road.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Canyon ISD issues statement after student injured in crash near West Plains HS
Reporting by Kristina Wood, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
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