Boy, 11, hit by car outside Swanmore College as headteacher demands action on 'dangerous' road

The 11-year-old boy was crossing New Road, in front of Swanmore College, at around 3pm when he was struck by a car.

Headteacher Kyle Jonathan believes the boy was crossing in front of a parked bus while the driver attempted to overtake the stationary vehicle.

The car was travelling slowly and the boy did not require emergency medical attention, according to the headteacher, who warned that a fatal accident is waiting to happen.

The teacher has taken to wearing high visibility clothing and standing in the road to direct traffic during busy periods in order to keep pupils safe, as he is ‘sick and tired’ of the danger the road presents.

Mr Jonathan said: ‘This bus stop is a massive issue. I am sick and tired of it.

‘This little boy crossed the road and got hit, but fortunately he was hit by a person who was driving really slowly.

‘But drivers don’t always drive really slowly.

‘I wear a big red jacket and I stand in the middle of the road. And I know I’m not allowed to do it, but I don’t care if anyone tries to arrest me – I’m not having another child knocked down.

‘What it needs is some sort of crossing. It feels like (the highways department at the county council) is driven just by statistics.

‘I’m not going to allow a child to be killed just so that statistic means something can be built.’

Drivers parents, and pupils have reported ‘numerous times’ when a child has had a near miss with a car, according to the headteacher, but he says not all of these incidents are not captured by the county council’s statistics.

Councillor Frank Pearson, who represents the area on Winchester City Council, hopes plans to build 64 homes near the school will provide an opportunity for a traffic light crossing to be installed along the ‘dangerous’ road.

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Intending to address the planning committee as it considers the development plans this Thursday, Cllr Pearson believes either a crossing system or traffic-slowing measures should be put in place as part of planning consent.

Cllr Pearson said: ‘If that fails, all we can do is kick up a stink to get the county council to do something – and we are only two weeks away from county council elections.’

The boy was hit on March 15.

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