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Feb 5, 2008 6:34 pm US/Eastern
Girl Upgraded To Serious After Being Struck By SUV
Hit By Elderly Driver Outside Randolph Polling Place
RANDOLPH (WBZ) ―
An 8-year-old girl has been upgraded to serious condition after she was
struck outside a polling place by an SUV driven by an 86-year-old man.
The second-grader was rushed to Boston Medical Center Tuesday morning after being pinned between the vehicle and an outside wall at the Elizabeth G. Lyons Elementary School, police said. She was later transferred to Children's Hospital, sources told WBZ.
The vehicle was a 2001 Ford Escape driven by William Geisler of Randolph, who was at the school to vote in Tuesday's primary.
"I backed up to get into a parking space," Geisler told WBZ, "and the car just went into overdrive, I guess. It just shot forward and the brakes didn't hold. I couldn't stop it."
Geisler was taken to Milton Medical Center to be checked out, but was out of the hospital Tuesday afternoon. He said he was still in shock over what happened.
It was unclear Tuesday evening whether Geisler would face charges.
The girl's name was not released. She was struck at about 8:20 a.m., as children were arriving for the school day, and as adults were voting inside the building.
Later, some parents questioned whether schools should be open when people are voting.
"They should close all public schools on voting day," one Lyons School parent said.
State officials said there are no guidelines for whether schools should be open on days when elections are held. The decision is left up to local communities.
The Lyons School is the polling place for Randolph precincts 5 and 6.
School Principal Leo Flanagan said other children witnessed the accident.
Flanagan said counselors were at the school to talk to students about what happened, and will be available again on Wednesday.
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