Apex high school student struck by car while in crosswalk

Apex police said the 15-year-old Apex Friendship High School student was hit just before 7 a.m. while in a crosswalk on Humie Olive Road at Evans Road. He was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the vehicle, Robert Brantley, of Apex, was cited for failing to yield to a pedestrian in the crosswalk, police said.

The crosswalk is less than half a mile from the high school.

There are no lights or signs to indicate the presence of a crosswalk, but there is one speed limit sign with flashing lights to alert drivers to a slower speed limit during school hours. Parents said they have worried about the safety of the crosswalk for years.

"They're definitely not prioritizing student safety. The school's been open for two years and here we are, there's no lights, no crossing guard," said parent Pauline Baggarly.

"When you kiss him goodbye in the morning, you just hope for the best," parent Edward Tomasi said.

Parent Dana Emberland said the school has been receptive to complaints about the crosswalk, but told him the matter was out of their hands. Emberland took his concerns to the town council in 2015, but was told any changes would be up to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

"There's so much growth going on in our county, but a lot of times that growth isn't planned properly and things like pedestrian crosswalks for brand news schools should be part of the plan in the beginning, not as a reactionary means at the end," Tomasi said.

The Department of Transportation on Tuesday told WRAL News they were not aware of any complaints about the crosswalk.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation said it would send employees to the intersection to see if there is any way to make the crossing safer.

Officials with the Town of Apex said a traffic light is planned for the intersection as part of construction for a new nearby middle school, but did not say when it would be installed.

Emberland believes a pedestrian tunnel would be the best solution to make the area safer.

"That way a child is never going to get hit again. They'll go under the road. There is never a conflict with a child and the road again," Emberland said.

There have been two crashes at the intersection since 2012, according to Department of Transportation officials, but neither involved pedestrians or cyclists.