JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 15-year-old girl was transported to the hospital with a potentially life-threatening head injury after she was hit by a pickup truck on Merrill Road Wednesday morning, according to Jacksonville police.
Police said two sisters were crossing Merrill Road to a bus stop near University Boulevard at about 6:40 a.m. when one of them, Mikaylae Campbell, was hit.
"One of the girls made it across the road, but the 15-year-old hesitated and was hit," Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Sgt. Andrew Carnes said.
Police said the driver stopped, got out and tried to render aid until authorities arrived. Campbell, a freshman at Terry Parker High School, was conscious and talking when she was transported to UF Health, but she did have a possibly life-threatening head injury. Police later said she is in stable condition.
"I just immediately took my cloth out and my pastor prayed over her, and I laid it on her and prayed and asked God to have mercy on her," said witness Toye Whitaker.
Campbell's sister was not hurt.
A sophomore at Terry Parker who rides the bus the girl was trying to get to said she saw what happened.
"Next thing you know, we see the girls running across the street, and all we saw were papers flying and her body hit the ground and her shoes fly off and everything," she said. "It was sad, and the truck that hit her he stopped and everyone was getting out of the car making sure she was OK. She was just laying on the ground for a minute. First, she was unresponsive, but then she started getting back consciousness and she had road rash all on her side and her face. It was tragic."
Christopher Lauderdale, who rides a city bus every day that stops right in front of where the accident happened, said Merrill Road is always busy, and hearing what happened is very upsetting.
"That's real sad. That's someone's daughter, someone's best friend, and she's still in bad condition but kind of stable," Lauderdale said. "I'd be kind of upset if it were a friend of mine or my daughter."
The girl who rides the bus with Campbell said she doesn't know Campbell that well, but is wishing nothing but the best for her fellow classmate.
"I hope she gets better," she said. "It was really tragic to see what happened to her, and whenever she gets better I want to go to her and give her a big hug because I want to make sure she's OK."
Merrill Road from University Boulevard to Justina Road remained closed until just after 10 a.m. while the crash was investigated by traffic homicide detectives.
This is the second day in a row police have investigated students on their way to school who were hit by a vehicle. On Tuesday, a 9-year-old boy and his 8-year-old sister were hit by a car while walking to a bus stop at the intersection of Seaboard Avenue at Penny Lane in the Lackawanna neighborhood.
Both were taken to UF Health Jacksonville, the girl with critical injuries. The boy was expected to be OK.