The student is fine – only a few scrapes and bruising – but is another victim of the decade-long battle to make Big Horn Avenue safer for Cody students.
Park County School District #6 Superintendent Peg Monteith related the event after getting information from the Cody Police Department and the Cody Middle School Resource Officer.
The incident occurred on Thursday morning, around 7:50 a.m. The student was at the intersection of Big Horn Avenue at Freedom Street, on their way to classes at Cody Middle School.
As has become typical during the dangerous morning commute, the student thought they saw a safe-enough opportunity to cross and “darted across” Big Horn Avenue. They didn’t notice the semi traveling down the road.
The semi’s driver was, fortunately, able to stop in enough time to avoid a tragic accident – but was unable to completely avoid the student. The truck swiped by the student in a “glancing blow,” throwing them to the ground.
After the impact, the driver stopped and called 911. Officers from the Cody Police Department responded to the call, but they did not find the victim.
Amazingly, after the incident, the student got up and continued on their way to Cody Middle School. The only injuries they sustained, according to school officials, were a few scrapes and bruises.
A parent arrived and took the student to Cody Regional Hospital for treatment.
Good luck aside, it very easily could have been a fatal incident.
School officials, aware of this particular hazard for several years, are adamant that changes be made to the intersection of Big Horn Avenue and Freedom Street. Both Cody Middle School Principal Kelly Merager and Park County School District #6 Superintendent Peg Monteith are calling for action.
A community meeting on the intersection may be held as early as next week. Superintendent Monteith has asked for a meeting with the City of Cody and the Wyoming Department of Transportation – which is ultimately in charge of the four-lane highway.
The battle for a traffic light or lighted pedestrian crossing at this interaction predated both of their tenures by at least a decade – but no action has been taken.
