Two schoolchildren hurt in separate Modesto collisions

Within minutes, two schoolchildren were injured in vehicle collisions Thursday morning on different areas of Rumble Road in Modesto.

The first crash happened at about 7:38 at West Rumble and Carver roads, police said. The child struck was a 6-year-old girl on her way to Eisenhut Elementary, less than a half-mile to the north.

The girl was walking with her mother and other children. While crossing Rumble, the child apparently ran into the path of a black Dodge Ram truck. She suffered a broken femur and was taken to a hospital for treatment..

Later in the morning, investigators still were working to determine fault in the collision, Modesto Police Department spokeswoman Sharon Bear said.

The second collision was at about 7:48 at East Rumble and Highgate roads, at the rear of the Somerset Middle School campus.

Bear said the boy was crossing Rumble in a crosswalk when he was struck by a black Chevrolet pickup. The driver told police that because the sun was in his eyes, he didn’t see the boy until it was too late to avoid hitting him. Especially while in school zones, drivers need to proceed slowly and cautiously when the morning sun is at that angle, Bear said.

The boy reportedly suffered minor injuries — scrapes, bruises and a “goose egg” where he struck his head, she said.

Somerset staff confirmed the boy is an 11-year-old student at the middle school.

This story was originally published September 27, 2018 at 10:33 AM.