After 4 fatalities, CCSD receives $10K grant to reduce student injuries

The Clark County School District Police Department received a $10,000 grant aimed at curtailing the number of students hit by vehicles.

CCSD police said Friday that since the beginning of the school year, more than 180 students have been struck by vehicles while traveling to or from school.

The crashes have resulted in four fatalities, according to police.

As part of the initiative, which is funded by the “joining forces school zone traffic safety campaign” from the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety, school police officers “will conduct targeted overtime enforcement in areas where unsafe driving behaviors continue to endanger students.”

Police said in a news release that distraction, speeding and impaired driving are the leading contributors to serious and fatal crashes on Nevada’s roadways.

The “initiative aims to enhance law enforcement visibility, increase public awareness, and educate drivers to prevent tragedies before they occur,” the release stated.

Last month, two 12-year-old students, Cristofer Suarez and Haylee Ryan, were fatally struck by vehicles in separate crashes near school zones in Las Vegas.

In September, 12-year-old Jovonn Magee-Thomas was killed while riding an electric scooter, and 16-year-old Reynaldo Martinez de la Sanchez died after he was hit by a vehicle while riding a moped.