Student walking to school struck by car in Crystal Lake

A 12-year-old girl was in stable condition Wednesday afternoon after she was struck by a van while crossing the street on her way to school in Crystal Lake, authorities said.

The driver of a cargo van, towing a trailer, was traveling east on Crystal Lake Avenue near Oak Hollow Road just before 7 a.m. when his vehicle struck the girl, who was walking in a marked crosswalk to get to Hannah Beardsley Middle School, according to the Crystal Lake Police Department.

The girl, who friends identified as seventh-grader Ashley Andre, lives near the crossing. She was on her way to a band rehearsal before school.

She was taken to Centegra Hospital in McHenry and then flown by a Flight for Life helicopter to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.

The driver, Giles Simonson, 50, of McHenry, was cited for failure to stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk. He was uninjured in the crash.

Police said the intersection where the girl was walking has a marked crosswalk and additional pedestrian crossing warning lights.

Children must activate a flashing yellow light with a button if they cross before the crossing guard is scheduled to start work, as was the case Wednesday.

Dziewior said the crossing guard first reports to the intersection at 7 a.m. — after the girl crossed the street and 40 minutes before the official start of the school day.

It was still dark when the crash occurred; the sun wouldn’t rise until 7:25 a.m.

Crystal Lake Elementary District 47 Superintendent Donn Mendoza said additional counselors were on hand at the school to assist students and teachers through the school day. Mendoza would not comment on the injured student for privacy reasons.

In a letter to district parents Wednesday, Mendoza encouraged parents to talk to their children about the importance of awareness and safety when walking to school.

Ÿ Daily Herald Staff Writer Larissa Chinwah contributed to this story.