MEDINA, Ohio — According to the Medina Police Department, the woman accused of striking an elementary school student with her car in a downtown intersection has been charged with four offenses.
Police say Shyrene Michelle Vargas was charged with the following:
- Failure to yield to pedestrian when turning left at a green light
- Driving without a permit
- 2 counts of driving under a suspended license
The Medina Municipal Court has not yet posted a docket for Vargas, however, court records do show previous offenses for speeding and driving with a suspended license.
Police say the incident on March 19 happened at the intersection of East Liberty and North Court streets in downtown Medina's Public Square.
Surveillance footage showed a driver slam into the child when he had the right of way on the crosswalk. The child is seen tossed into the air and thrown onto the ground. Fortunately, he suffered only cuts and bruises.
"This video reiterates how important it is for drivers to pay attention while turning at intersections in the square," Medina police stated on Facebook while releasing the surveillance video. "The area is congested with vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Please pay full attention while turning at all intersections. Thank you to all the bystanders who came to the child's aid."
On Friday, 3News' Matt Rascon talked to the boy's parents about the incident, including the terrifying video.
“The first time I saw it I almost lost it. It’s very, very emotional seeing your kid go flying through the air,” said John McKay, the boy's father. “She (the driver) shouldn’t have even been on the road to begin with."
Meanwhile, the child's parents have started a petition to get a crossing guard at the intersection to help their sons and other students get to and from school safely.
3News reached out to Medina Schools and received the following statement from Superintendent Aaron Sable:
“Crossing guards are stationed at the corners closer to Garfield Elementary School. It's worth mentioning that filling these positions has been a challenge due to the part-time nature of their work, coupled with the current employee shortages. But we've made our best effort to fill the positions, especially those close to our facility.
"In the coming year, our redistricting plan will ensure that Garfield students receive school transportation on our buses, which means they won't have to cross the intersections on the square. The safety of our students is a top priority, and we'll be reviewing our procedures and personnel for the remainder of the school year.”
3News' Matt Rascon contributed to this report.