Officer struck, injured 12-year-old girl with patrol vehicle
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Authorities say a 12-year-old girl was injured when she was struck by a St. Louis County patrol vehicle while an officer was following a suspicious vehicle.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports the girl, identified by family as Akeelah Jackson, was struck Monday evening just inside St. Louis city limits.
County Police Sgt. Benjamin Granda said the officer told police he was trying to get closer to a suspicious car to make a traffic stop when the girl was struck. Granda said the officer was not using lights and sirens on a road with a 30 mph speed limit. Data showed the officer's maximum speed was 59 mph but it wasn't clear how fast the officer was driving when the Akeelah was hit.
The girl's cousin, Ashley Jackson, said doctors told the family she would likely die from her injuries.
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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com