At about 7:25 am January 28th, a young student at Lake Highlands Elementary on Ferndale was exiting his mother's car when his foot was accidently rolled over as she pulled out of the carpool line.

An ambulance was called to the school as a precautionary measure, and the boy was later taken to the hospital by his mother.

While he sustained no severe injuries, he is currently suffering a sore knee.

Once she was assured that the student was fine, Principal Kim Sullivan moved quickly and arranged for a District Safety Officer to visit the school and review carpool procedures currently in place.

Before the day was over she also hosted an all-school assembly to reinforce the safety rules to all students and encourage them to talk with their parents about these rules, stressing that the goal of LHE is always to keep kids safe.

Additionally, a letter was sent home to parents on Thursday detailing the incident and reiterating the student drop-off and pick-up policies that are currently in place.

Those policies include abiding by the 20 mph speed limit, refraining from the use of cell phones for calls or texting in the school zones, obeying no left turn signs, using crosswalks, and always being patient.

It was a little more than two years ago when 71 year-old crossing guard Nancy Chapel was hit by a car and seriously injured, to the point of not being able to return to work. That incident remains the forefront of Sullivan’s mind.

“Our District Safety Officer reported that we have one of the most efficient plans in place for student safety," said Sullivan.

"During the 15 minutes that we welcome the kids to school in the morning, our Safety Patrol sponsors, extra staff members and principals are on duty," she explained. "And for 15 minutes every afternoon, our entire staff - everyone - is on carpool duty to release almost 700 kids.”

The incident prompted many comments in response to a short report that appeared on Friday's Dallas Morning News online blog. The comments, many made with strong conviction, ranged from sympathy and understanding toward the mother, to harsh criticism of motorists bent on "keeping it moving" and not being focused.

Sullivan has tracked the commentary and appreciates both schools of thought.

“I very much appreciate the busy lives our parents lead. I know because we are the beneficiaries of so much time and support given by them."

"But there are so many activities always going on here," she said. "I’m all for drivers becoming more focused when they drop off and pick up their kids, particularly since Ferndale is such a busy street. Unfortunately, we still see drivers on their phones, kids exiting car doors in the right of way, and people in a hurry. Drivers need to be focused and patient.”

Principal Sullivan added with passion, “We love our kids, and we want to keep every one of them safe. We need our parents to help us do that.”

Pictured (below left) LHE Crossing Guard, Nancy Chapel; and (below right) members of the school Safety Patrol.