Teen hit by car while walking to Fairfax County high school

The useful part

A 16-year-old was struck by a car outside of South Lakes High School in Fairfax County while walking to school on Tuesday morning, authorities said. The teen was not in a crosswalk, and was walking in an area never had a crossing guard assigned to it, according to police. The driver stayed at the scene, and was charged with a traffic infraction for Failure to Stop Before Entering a Highway, police said.

How it works

• The collision happened amid a county debate over a lack of crossing guards near high schools — a debate which has gone on all summer and at times turned personal between county officials.
• Budget cuts in Fairfax County earlier this year eliminated crossing guards outside high schools.
• In the aftermath of Tuesday's crash outside South Lakes High School, Fairfax County School Board member Melanie Meren once again brought up the budget cuts in an emailed statement.

Details worth keeping

They were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Leaders say the decision saved Fairfax County roughly $400,000. "A child was hit by a car outside of South Lakes High School on the seventh day without crossing guards since the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the County Executive's budget which cut those services to help provide a 0.0025% tax cut," the email said.