Concern expressed over Athens Drive High traffic after student hit

Freshman Phoebe Miller, 14, was crossing Athens Drive in a crosswalk at about 7:15 a.m. when she was hit by a Jeep, police said. An accident report indicates the Jeep was traveling at 35 mph in a 25-mph zone.

Miller, the daughter of an Athens Drive High assistant principal, suffered a broken leg and severe injuries to her face. She was listed in good condition Sunday afternoon at WakeMed.

Junior Lainey Kathryn Childrey, of 111 Durington Place in Cary, was charged with speeding and failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

Athens Drive High junior Kimberly Fox said she uses the crosswalk every day and called it risky and unsafe.

"I saw the girl in the road," Fox said. "I kind of knew that it would happen, and (I'm) sad that it did."

Her father, Kevin Fox, said he was torn up after seeing the incident.

"I've been telling Kimberly for three years somebody's going to get hurt in that crosswalk because people are just not paying attention. They're speeding through here," he said.

A WRAL News crew didn't see any cars slow down as students waited at the crosswalk on Friday afternoon. Some students said cars always speed through the area, even in bad driving conditions like Friday's rain.

"There's a lot of kids out there and a lot of 16-year-old drivers that are learning to drive still. They're probably not as careful as they can be or have the experience," parent Lisa Griffin said.

Athens Drive High has a security guard that often stands by the crosswalk, but the school doesn't have a crossing guard, officials said.

A spokesman for the Wake County school system said no local high school or middle school has a crossing guard. Some elementary schools do, depending on the need, he said.