Girl Killed in Accident at Washington Middle School

 It's a sad announcement to make. 

The driver of a vehicle that rolled downhill, hitting and killing a 12-year-old girl by her Central District middle school, has not been arrested.

The Washington Middle School student was standing on the sidewalk and was going to recess with other classmates Thursday afternoon when the empty SUV rolled about 75 yards downhill and fatally struck her.

“We believe that the vehicle was rolling backward, the driver having failed to place it completely in park,” Seattle Police Department Assistant Chief Todd Kibbee said outside the school on Thursday. “This is obviously a tragic situation for the community here.”

About 60 students held a “memorial walk” in their classmate’s memory outside of Washington Middle School on Friday, according to the district. Superintendent Brent Jones and School Board President Gina Topp also visited teachers, staff and students, and counseling and other mental health support services were made available. The assistance and additional resources will continue next week, the district said.

It's a bit confusing to me why the car went so far and yet the driver could not put on the emergency brake. 

No matter what, it's a tragic loss for that community. 


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