Girl hit on bike at dangerous crosswalk

A 15-year-old girl is recovering at the hospital after being hit by a car while riding her bike.

She was hit at the same crosswalk where multiple other children have been hit, at the intersection of Alta Vista Road and Funnel Street in Fort Worth. It’s just blocks away from Timber Creek High School.

Residents who use the crosswalk were mildly thankful for the flashing pedestrian lights the city installed after FOX 4’s story last year on the danger there.

What they wanted was a traffic signal, but after a 15-year-old girl was hit Tuesday while crossing the street, the outcry for a red light is being heard once again.

"I remember nothing from the actual incident,” said the teen who was hit, Hannah Perkins. "I think it's just a miracle that I'm still here.”

Witnesses say when a pickup truck came through the crosswalk and hit her while she peddled her bike across the street Tuesday afternoon, she was thrown about 50 feet.

"Got the road burns,” said Perkins. “My ankle is broken.”

Amazingly, she has no severe head trauma or internal injuries.

To many in the north Fort Worth community, the incident is not a shock.

As FOX 4 first reported last year, the crosswalk has become dangerous enough that the city, responding to what it called public encouragement, finally installed flashing lights early this year.

That was after parents took to the streets to get drivers to slow down.

Pedestrians hit a button, the lights flash and cars know they must stop or slow down.

Only in this case, only two cars stopped.

"It's definitely not the safest thing, even if the lights are flashing,” said Perkins. “My sister and I are waiting and there are still cars driving past it.”

Hannah's father, Dan, believes there needs to be more than just some flashing lights.

"Why couldn't they put a light that's continuous green so when the kids push that button, instead of flashing lights, it turns red, because drivers are tuned in to, ‘Red light means stop.’”

Police say the 16-year-old who hit Perkins was not given a citation, and will not face charges.

The family says they're OK with that.

"Of course, I met the boy that was driving the pickup truck that hit her,” said Dan. “…He was extremely apologetic. He had a really hard time getting words out. He was shaking. You could tell he was full of remorse.”

"I have no anger towards the boy who hit me,” said Perkins. “I'm fully aware that people are people; they make mistakes, and you know, as long as I'm alive, I really don't see a reason for anyone to be mad at him.”