KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.
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A 10-year-old girl was struck and killed by a vehicle Tuesday morning while riding her bicycle at a south Kansas City intersection.
Her death leaves a neighborhood already reeling from recent tragedies to mourn another loss.
The crash occurred about 7 a.m. at the intersection of Longview Road and Food Lane. A man driving a white transit van hit the girl.
Kansas City, Missouri police said the child had a green signal when she got into the intersection.
She was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation, police said.
Kailey Thompson, a witness who was driving in the same direction as the van, saw the crash unfold and immediately stopped to help.
Thompson spoke with KSHB 41 reporter Megan Abundis over the phone about what she witnessed.
"I saw the little girl coming from the same direction as him on the crosswalk, and he didn't speed up, he looked like he just didn't see her and smacked into her and immediately pulled over and got out of the car," Thompson said.
Thompson says she ran to the scene and began performing CPR on the girl.
"All I could see is that her lips were blue," Thompson said.
The girl was carrying only a folder in her backpack that contained a permission slip for a field trip, Thompson said.
Thompson also described the van driver's reaction at the scene.
"The driver was devastated," she said. "As I was doing compressions, he is on his knees holding this girl's arm, praying over her," Thompson said.
The Hickman Mills School District confirmed the girl attended Ingels Elementary School, located just down the street from the crash site.
Neighbors say the tragedy highlights ongoing safety concerns in the area.
Talisa Jackson, who has two children attending Ingels Elementary, said she has voiced concerns about the need for a crossing guard to school district leaders.
"There was nothing we could do but use our voices, and it took this," Jackson said. "Obviously, our voices wasn't enough."
Jackson said the current safety measures are inadequate for young children who are still learning to navigate traffic safely.
"They're still very little. These are elementary-age children. They're still very playful, they're still learning how to follow directions and all of the things," Jackson said.
She said the crossing guard assigned to the area is often absent, leaving children to manage dangerous intersections on their own.
"The crossing guard that's supposed to be there half the time isn't there, so they're directing themselves and traffic at the same time if their parents are not around," Jackson said.
Jackson expressed frustration that it took a tragedy to potentially prompt safety changes, especially when she says she’s brought concerns to district leaders before.
"What happened this morning is completely not okay," Jackson said. "So now, if they start changing stuff, it's almost like at what cost?"
The crash has left Jackson and other parents feeling heartbroken, knowing it could have been any of their children.
People from the neighborhood brought stuffed animals and flowers to the intersection to pay their respects.
"This could have easily been one of our children," Jackson said. "This could have easily been one of mine, and I feel so bad that the outcome was what is was. "It's unnerving."
Jackson called for comprehensive safety improvements, including dedicated bus service for children living in nearby communities and a consistent crossing guard presence.
"Even though the kids are in very close proximity of the school, they should still have a bus that is designated for these areas because these are big groups of kids that are coming out of these townhomes, duplexes, this community, Ruskin Heights, this community over here by Grandview," Jackson said.
She emphasized that crossing guards should be present at all intersections near the school, regardless of weather conditions.
"Someone has to be there facilitating, and regardless of weather permitting or not, there should always be a crossing guard at each of these intersections, and also there by the school," Jackson said.
Despite the tragedy, Jackson noted how the children in the community look out for one another.
"They protect each other," Jackson said.
Jackson also said the community is coming together to support one another online and through the neighborhood Ring app.
Kelly Betow, who lives in the neighborhood , is shocked at the lack of safety measures.
"Honestly, I'm shocked that they don't have one already. The school is literally on the other side of the street," Betow said. “It is a dangerous and busy intersection.”
Her fiancé, Zach Rodgers, suggested infrastructure improvements could help prevent future incidents.
"If we had speed bumps, I think that would help eliminate a lot of it," Rodgers said.
The crash adds to a string of recent violence in the neighborhood.
Rodgers noted there was a shooting about a week ago across the street at a water park.
Before that, he says there were other tragic losses that’s made him want to move out of the neighborhood.
“A few months ago, the owner of the store across the street, he got killed, and also another kid ended up passing away later on,” Rodgers said.
For neighbor MiEsha Kemper, the tragedy hits particularly close to home.
"I lost my brother, who was also a child at the time, to a hit-and-run," Kemper said. "My heart's been heavy all day."
Kemper suggested increased police presence could improve safety.
She says in the absence of a police presence, she and her neighbors work to keep each other informed through the Ring app.
"This is something that absolutely should have been avoided. It should have never happened," Kemper said.
Kemper says she’s also considered moving from the area.
“It’s not what it once was when I moved here five years ago,” Kemper said.
As the community processes this latest loss, neighbors are calling for action to prevent future tragedies.
"Something has to be done, something has to change," Jackson said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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