Second Tulsa Student Hit While Crossing Street Near School

By Chris Wright, The News On 6

TULSA, OKLAHOMA -- It was a difficult opening week at Whitney Middle School in Tulsa.

Two students were hit by a car while crossing streets near the school. One student was hit by a car on August 23, 2010. The other was hit by a car just three days later, on August 26, 2010.

8/23/2010 Related Story: Seventh Grader Struck While Crossing Street Near Tulsa Public School

Both students are okay, but the driver who hit 12-year-old Joshua Morgan on August 26th took off and has not been found.

"The doctors tore this so they could get to the wound. You can see the blood there," said Jerry Morgan, Joshua's father.

Jerry Morgan has held onto the evidence of his son's close call last week.

"There are still burn marks here," he said.  "All this is ripped up, tore up. I mean we just got so so lucky."

Morgan, a Whitney Middle School student, was walking home last Thursday when witnesses say a minivan ran a red light and clipped his leg. The light green van kept going, while Joshua dragged himself across the street to get help.

"He was incredibly upset. His clothes were all torn. He had one of his shoes, blood was running down his leg," said Jerry Morgan. "Really just shocked and panicked."

Three days earlier, a car hit a Whitney 7th grade student crossing 71st East Avenue. The driver said the 12-year-old darted out into the street.

Budget cuts have forced the city to cut a third of its crossing guards this year. All the construction doesn't help either.

There's never actually been a crossing guard at 21st and Sheridan, so the recent cuts wouldn't have had any effect on the incident here last week. But with the signs turned off because of construction, kids crossing this street are pretty much on their own.

Joshua is still sporting a big bandage, but is back at school. He's no longer allowed to walk to Whitney and his father hopes the hit and run driver has a crisis of conscience.

"Hopefully we'll catch him. It's ridiculous that's going on that close to the school," Morgan said.

His father said no one stopped to assist Joshua. He said a family friend happened upon him and helped get him to a Tulsa hospital.