Girl, 8, Struck, Injured in Front of Coachella School

COACHELLA, Calif. -- An 8-year-old girl was struck and injured by a vehicle Thursday as she was crossing the street in front of Cesar Chavez Elementary School in Coachella, police said.

The girl was crossing the street in the 49600 block of Avenida de Oro at 7:30 a.m. when a 36-year-old Coachella woman drove into the crosswalk a four-door Dodge sedan and hit the girl, said Coachella police Sgt. Dan Devinny.

The second-grader was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs for treatment of moderate to major injuries, Devinny said. She is expected to survive.

The sergeant said the child was in the crosswalk and being assisted by the school crossing guard, but the driver did not stop until after striking the child.

She was not arrested, but charges were possible, police said.

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