March 4, 2004

Child struck by car critical

       A third-grade student at West Grove Elementary School was in critical condition Wednesday after being struck by a car near her home. Deputies say she darted out in front of a car whose driver couldn’t stop in time.  Asia Woodruff, 8, remained at Riley Hospital for Children after suffering head injuries in the accident at 7:06 p.m. Tuesday. The car struck the girl on Morgantown Road, ½-mile north of Olive Branch Road in White River Township.  Woodruff had been across the street from her home, playing basketball at the neighbor’s goal on the east side of the road. Basketball in hand, she was crossing the street to return home on the west side.  The driver, Susan Achgill, 46, of Greenwood, was driving south on Morgantown Road in her 1994 Chevrolet Corsica. When the child darted out in front of her, Achgill swerved but couldn’t avoid a collision.  The girl’s body hit the windshield of the car. The accident investigator’s report said Woodruff suffered internal head injuries.  Jack Gardner, principal of Center Grove Middle School North, had been driving north on Morgantown Road. He had passed Woodruff moments earlier and then saw the accident unfold in his rear-view mirror.  “Quite simply, a girl was standing very, very, very close to the road as I passed by, alarmingly so,” Gardner said. “And as I passed by, I thought, ‘I’d better keep an eye on her; I wonder what’s up.’”  Gardner then saw Achgill’s car swerve to try to miss the child.  “The lady driving had no chance to stop. The girl darted in front of the car,” Gardner said. Achgill “was not speeding or driving recklessly in any way,” he said.  After stopping and calling 911, Gardner remained at the crash site until emergency workers arrived.  The deputies who investigated the accident, Lt. Jerry Pickett and Deputy Kerry Hamilton, concluded that Achgill was not speeding.  “It was just a terrible accident,” Chief Deputy Doug Cox said.  Woodruff is a West Grove Elementary third-grader, Center Grove director of student services Walt Aldorisio said.  “The elementary school counselor was meeting with kids, just to see if they were OK,” Aldorisio said.  Woodruff’s classmates drew get-well-soon notes Wednesday that her teacher, Linda Meyer, delivered to Riley Hospital, Aldorisio said.  See related story HERE.  (Reprinted with permission from the Daily Journal)

  

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