A car struck three siblings Monday morning as they were walking to school in the Lake Murray area, killing one and injuring the other two, San Diego police said.
The children, all around age 12, were hit as they were trying to cross Jackson Drive at Lake Badin Avenue shortly after 7:20 a.m., San Diego police said.
The trio — two girls and a boy — were headed to Pershing Middle School, a couple blocks away, when they were struck by the eastbound vehicle. They were all in the sixth grade.
“We are deeply saddened to share that sixth grader Andrew Olsen tragically passed away from his injuries,” the principal of Pershing Middle School said in an email sent to families Monday.
The driver, a man in his 30s, stopped after the collision. Speed and DUI were not considered factors in the crash, said police spokesperson Lt. Travis Easter.
One of the victims suffered a compound fracture to the arm. There was no information released about the injuries to the third child.
In the letter to families, Principal Melanie Kray said, “All of us at Pershing are heartbroken by this loss, and our thoughts are with the student’s family and loved ones during this very difficult time,” Kray wrote.
Kray said district counselors would be at the campus this week to assist students, staff and parents. “We are a close and caring community, and we will continue to support one another through this time of grief and healing,” she said.
Councilmember Raul Campillo, who represents the area, released a statement calling the incident “heartbreaking.”
“My prayers and condolences are with the affected family and the entire Pershing Middle School and San Carlos community,” he said, adding. “My office has assisted residents in the area to communicate and advocate directly with the City’s Transportation Department about this stretch of road.”
One resident who lives on Jackson Drive near the crash site said he’s repeatedly asked city officials to improve safety along the road over the past 18 months, but nothing has changed.
Resident Shannon Smith said he crossed Jackson Drive four times a day for the past decade because he used to walk his dog at the park next to the San Carlos Recreation Center. He noticed traffic along that stretch of Jackson was fast and could be congested because it is the midpoint between two intersections with traffic signals. It also has a posted speed limit of 40 mph, while other sections are posted 35 mph.
Smith said he submitted emails and sent requests to the Get It Done app, suggesting a number of traffic-calming measures, from stop signs and crosswalk markings to lowering the speed limit.
On Monday morning, he was sitting on his back patio when he heard the collision. By time he had gone to his front yard, someone was performing CPR on one of the injured children. The driver who hit the children “sat in front of my house crying uncontrollably for two hours,” he said. “His life is forever changed.”
Smith said he felt angry that nothing had apparently been done to the street despite his numerous attempts to flag the potential danger. “My efforts have failed and a child is dead and two others are injured,” he said.
The crash remained under investigation.
“As the San Diego Police Department investigates the cause of this tragic incident, the City’s Transportation Department is looking into the history of this location from a traffic engineering and safety perspective,” a city spokesperson said.
A memorial of several bouquets was growing at the crash site Monday evening.
Staff writer Caleb Lunetta contributed to this report.
Originally Published: October 20, 2025 at 9:21 AM PDT