Middlebury girl hit by car on way to school

MIDDLEBURY, Ind..-- Jolene Weaver, 9, was only a few feet away from her school when she was hit by a vehicle.

Her little brother, riding along next to her, watched as she was airlifted to Parkview Hospital.

A glove and napkin-- the only evidence left of where Jolene's body laid only hours ago.

Witnesses of Tuesday morning's crash say Weaver was on her way to school with her little brother when she was struck by a vehicle.

Delbert Farmwald, teacher at Plainview School, says when he got to the scene, the 3rd grader wasn't responding. 

“I was there before her parents before her parents were there so I talked to her just for a, she did just very briefly respond when I spoke to her the first time, then after that there was no visible response," Farmwald said.

Students are all told to wear their reflective vests when riding their bikes. Farmwald said Weaver's little brother was wearing his jacket and Weaver was not, however, he doesn't think it made a difference in this case. 

“It’s always stressed that the students wear safety vests, as you can see by the vests which you can see by the vests hanging on the bikes there. I think Jolene did not have hers on at the time but her brother who was with her did have that.  But like I said the driver never saw that because of the light of the sun," Farmwald said.

He mentions that he spoke to the driver who struck her, who says that the early morning sun was in his eyes and caused him to not see the kids.

Farmwald says it's the second time that this has happened while teaching at the school and wonders why nothing has been done to prevent this yet.

“In the seven years that I’ve been teaching here, it’s happened before that one of our students have were hit in the road. and again if you’re familiar with the area, there’s buggy lanes a mile down the road, this road has a buggy lane, this road does not," Farmwald said.

He shares that he brought a treat to school today, a 60 pound watermelon for all the kids to enjoy.

Now the school is waiting until Jolene's safe return to enjoy it together. 

“They're part of the school family, so everyone’s one large family so if one family is involved, we’re all involved. We’re all affected.”

Elkhart County Sheriff's Deputies said Weaver did not have a helmet on at the time.

Weaver is currently suffering life threatening injuries including significant head trauma.

It is still unclear what will happen to the driver as the crash in still under investigation.