Child Dead After Getting Hit by Vehicle In Front of Elementary School

A police car in a file photo. (Mira Oberman/AFP/Getty Images)

A child was hit by a vehicle in front of an elementary school in Texas, police confirmed on Oct. 9.

The incident took place early Wednesday outside Oran Roberts Elementary School in El Paso just before 8 a.m.

A spokesman for the El Paso Police Department told KVIA that the child was of school age.

It hasn’t been confirmed if the victim was a student at the school. It also wasn’t clear if the driver of the vehicle is being detained or charged.

Police also confirmed the incident with KFOX and 4 News.

Police have not issued a public statement as of yet.

Pictures from the scene showed four police vehicles on the scene, with some red police tape blocking the road.

The child was hit on Thorne Street.

Oran Roberts Elementary School's location in El Paso, Texas. (Google Maps)

Oran Roberts Elementary School's location in El Paso, Texas. (Google Maps)

Mortality Figures in the United States

According to 2017 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 10 leading causes of death in the United States were: heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke, Alzheimer disease, diabetes, influenza and pneumonia, kidney disease, and suicide.

These further break down as follows: the most common are unintentional poisoning deaths (58,335), followed by motor vehicle traffic deaths (40,327), and unintentional fall deaths in third place (34,673).

The total number of emergency department visits for unintentional injuries in the United States in 2017 was 29.2 million, according to the CDC. The 10 leading causes accounted for 74 percent of all deaths in the United States in 2017.

Fatal Car Crash Statistics

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, analyzing data from the Department of Transportation, there were 37,133 deaths from car accidents in 2017, the last year full data is available for. The deaths occurred across 34,247 fatal motor vehicle accidents. The number means 11.4 deaths per 100,000 people and 1.16 deaths per 100 million miles traveled, although those numbers can vary widely across states.

The highest deaths per 100,000 population were in Mississippi, which saw 23.1 such deaths, and the most deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled were in South Carolina, which saw 1.80 such deaths.

The majority of fatal accidents are single-vehicle crashes, the institute noted.

The Department of Transportation said in October 2018 that there were 37,133 deaths from motor vehicle crashes in 2017, a decrease of almost 2 percent from 2016. In comparison, there was an increase of about 6.5 percent from 2015 to 2016 and an increase of about 8 percent from 2014 to 2015. Pedestrian fatalities also declined by about 2 percent. While deaths in both categories declined, officials said more can be done.

“Dangerous actions such as speeding, distracted driving, and driving under the influence are still putting many Americans, their families and those they share the road with at risk,” said National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Deputy Administrator Heidi King in a statement. “Additionally, we must address the emerging trend of drug-impaired driving to ensure we are reducing traffic fatalities and keeping our roadways safe for the traveling public.”