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Public Safety

Several Children Hit By Vehicle Near Del Mar Heights Elementary

Nine children and an adult were injured Friday afternoon when a car jumped a curb and struck them in front of Del Mar Heights Elementary School.

The incident occurred about 2:30 p.m. after a 70-year-old motorist trying park at the campus in the 13500 block of Boquita Drive backed her 2012 Honda Civic into another vehicle, according to police.

The driver panicked and accelerated rapidly forward, sending her sedan lurching onto a sidewalk where adults and children, including an 11-month-old in a stroller, were gathered, Officer Robert Heims said.

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Medics took six of the injured youngsters to hospitals, three with major trauma and the others with minor injuries, said Lee Swanson, a spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

The most seriously hurt victim was a 5-year-old who suffered a broken thighbone, Heims said.

Police traffic-division officers were investigating to determine if the involved motorist, who was not believed to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, should be cited for the accident.

KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.