OREGON STUDENT CROSSING GUARD STRUCK

A student crossing guard at North Portland's Chief Joseph Elementary School was struck by a car Tuesday in a hit-and-run accident. The student, whom school officials declined to identify, wasn't seriously injured, said Matt Shelby, spokesman for Portland Public Schools, but the incident raised concerns about the safety of the situation.

The car apparently ran over the student's toes, and the victim spun out of harm's way. The student was taken by ambulance to Legacy Emanuel Hospital & Health Center and was released to his parents. Shelby said the incident unfolded at North Denver Avenue and Bryant Street about 8:30 a.m. as students were heading to the school at 2409 N. Saratoga St. The victim, equipped with a "Stop" flag and a two-way radio, was standing in the busy thoroughfare blocking traffic.

A vehicle approached at fast speed, school district officials say. Shelby said when the student spun out of the way, the pole holding his flag hit him in the back. Shelby said there was a heavy fog over the road, which might have been a contributing factor.

But Bill Maxwell, a Multnomah County deputy sheriff who has three children at the school, said he has complained to Chief Joseph Principal Kathleen Jaffe before about how it's not safe for the crossing guards. Maxwell, who has a fifth-grader on the safety patrol, said the guards "should be supervised at all times."

Maxwell also said that he and his wife spoke to the victim's patrol partner after the incident and were told that no one responded to a radio distress call. "The kid's partner ended up having to carry him two blocks to the school because no adult responded," Maxwell said. Jaffe said it's "certainly possible" that the student partner radioed and no one heard the transmission, but she doubted it.

"We don't understand why we didn't receive anything on the other end. I don't really have a good answer for that." Jaffe said she will work with district administrators to study the incident and make any changes necessary to ensure student safety. "We're certainly going to rethink it and look at everything," Jaffe said.