At 12:02 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 5, a 14-year-old girl was seriously injured after being struck by a vehicle while crossing West Hopi Drive in front of Safeway, where it is common for Holbrook High School students to cross during their

lunch break in order to go to the Family Dollar or Dollar General on the south side of the street.

According to Holbrook Police Department, the driver, Ledra Young, 39, of Joseph City, was traveling westbound when two juveniles ran into the roadway in front of her vehicle.

According to investigators, the driver honked her horn to warn the girls. One of the juveniles reportedly heard the warning and retreated back toward the sidewalk, but the other girl continued running across the street. Police said the girl was wearing AirPods at the time of the collision.

The driver attempted to avoid the crash by braking and swerving into oncoming traffic but was unable to stop before striking the girl. The victim sustained multiple injuries and was airlifted to a hospital in Flagstaff for treatment. Her condition has not been released.

The investigation determined that the victim and her companion were crossing the roadway illegally at the time of the incident.

In the days following the crash, Holbrook Mayor Kathleen Smith said the incident has highlighted longstanding safety concerns along West Hopi Drive, which is owned and maintained by the Arizona Department of Transportation. Smith said she has formally asked ADOT to move quickly to install a crosswalk in the area near the incident and to conduct a broader evaluation of pedestrian crossing needs throughout Holbrook to prevent future incidents.

“It was an extremely unfortunate event,” Smith said, adding that she has received support from officials at Navajo County to help push the process forward and coordinate with state transportation officials. She stated that improving infrastructure alone is not enough and that public education will be a key part of preventing future incidents. Once crosswalks are installed, Smith said the city plans to work on educating both pedestrians and drivers on traffic laws and best practices to ensure everyone understands how to safely share the roadway.