AUSTIN — Akins High School in South Austin is issuing a safety warning after two students were hit by drivers on a street near the school building.
According to a school letter from the high school, two drivers hit two students in separate incidents on Old San Antonio Road within weeks of each other. School officials added that while the students weren't seriously injured, students should avoid walking near the road because it can be difficult for drivers to see students. Interim Principal Tina Salazar said sometimes students walk on the road to get to Southpark Meadows.
According to Austin ISD, the school is hiring a crossing guard to keep students safe before and after school hours. The crossing guard will work between 8:15 a.m. and 9:15 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. and 5:15 p.m.
Rosie Tristan, a student's grandmother, told KVUE she often sees drivers speed by.
"They don't slow down. They just don't slow down," she said. "Kids can be standing here on the side, and they just don't slow down. This is no way to be driving real fast. It's a narrow street, very narrow, and there's too many cars."
She just hopes drivers take this warning seriously.
"They should just slow down, take care of the kids. They belong to us. They're our kids," Tristan said.
The speed limit on that part of Old San Antonio Road is 35 mph, and there is no school zone. The only sidewalk between the school and the Southpark Meadows shopping center is short and ends abruptly.
KVUE has reached out to the Travis County Sheriff's Office and Austin-Travis County EMS to find out the extent of the students' injuries and the exact date of the crashes.
No other information was immediately available.
Check back for updates.