Child struck by car while walking to school in St. Thomas

St. Thomas police have charged a driver after a child was hit by a car earlier this week while walking through a school zone in the city's south end.

The incident happened at around 8:40 a.m. on Thursday nearby a public school in the area, police said. An 11-year-old child was assessed in hospital and released with no apparent injury.

"It's concerning to have this happen so early, on the second day of school," said Samantha Wakefield, a spokesperson for St. Thomas Police Service.

"A message to drivers would be to please keep in mind that children, community members, students, educators and families are all back to their regular fall school routines. Those community safety zones that have been relatively quiet over the summer are now busy in the mornings. From 8:15 a.m. to 9 a.m. and then from 3:15 p.m. to 4 p.m., those school zones will be busy with regular vehicle traffic, pedestrian traffic and of course, school buses."

The driver has been charged with careless driving, said Wakefield, and is set to appear in court at a later date.