ORLANDO, Fla. — Leaders in Orange County are working to increase safety measures around school zones following a deadly crash on Monday morning.

What You Need To Know

  • According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a 16-year-old student was crossing Oak Ridge Road when she was hit and killed by a vehicle

  • Orange County District 3 Commissioner Mayra Uribe is a graduate from Oak Ridge High School and says that she wants to see some changes after Monday’s crash

  • The county has an ordinance that allows citation cameras to be installed in school zones, and they will ticket drivers speeding without requiring a police officer to pull over drivers

  • As students, teachers and the community mourn the loss, a memorial is growing in the corner by the entrance of the school

According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), a 16-year-old student was crossing Oak Ridge Road when a vehicle struck and killed her. 

Orange County District 3 Commissioner Mayra Uribe, an Oak Ridge High School graduate, said after Monday’s crash that she wants to see some changes.

“I’m heartbroken. I actually got a call, a text message from one of the teachers here at the school who had let me know — she knows I’m very involved — that there had been a student who had been hit by a vehicle in the morning,” Uribe said.

She said Orange County had an ordinance passed that allows citation cameras to be installed in school zones, without requiring a police officer to pull over drivers.

“So, if you’re speeding in a school-designated area like what happened yesterday, you would get a ticket for it. And hopefully, that’ll start making drivers be more responsible around schools,” Uribe said.

A sign in that area alerts drivers that there is a school entrance, but Uribe said drivers tend to go very fast there.

“Unfortunately, the traffic is horrible. You’ve got hundreds, if not over a thousand, students that go to school here and every day between coming in and coming out. And as you can tell, a very busy road with a mix of vehicles, industrial, all of that. This is a very dangerous road,” Uribe said.

According to FHP, the student was crossing Oak Ridge Road, but wasn’t on a crosswalk when the vehicle hit her. It’s unclear if speed was a factor.

Carol Wright, the grandmother of a high school senior who attends Oak Ridge High, said cars usually speed on Oak Ridge Road.

“They just be flying. There’s just one word, 'flying,' down Oak Ridge,” Wright said.

She said she would like to see drivers be more careful and for leaders to take action to prevent anyone else from being struck in the future.

“It’s just really scary. It just seems like people don’t acknowledge the school, you know, and every day when I pick my granddaughter up, I’m always worried about the kids crossing over because even when they see the kids, they do not slow down,” Wright said.

As students, teachers and the community mourn the loss, a memorial is growing in the corner by the entrance of the school.

“I can’t imagine dropping my child off at school, a place she should be safe, and she lose her life," Wright said. "So I’m just praying for the family.”

FHP said this is still an active investigation.