High school student dies after being hit by vehicle while walking to school

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV/Gray News) - A 17-year-old died Thursday morning after being hit by a car while heading to school, authorities in Wisconsin said.

The Madison Fire Department said multiple people who saw the crash called 911 to report it. Firefighters responded just before 7:50 a.m.

A bystander was giving CPR to the teen victim when EMS arrived, according to the fire department.

First responders then took over lifesaving measures and transported the teenager to the hospital in an ambulance.

Madison police said the teenager did not survive.

Madison Metropolitan School District later identified the teenager as Alexander “Sasha” Rosen, a 12th grade student at West High School.

Officials said the driver remained on the scene and was then taken to a local hospital for a blood test. Authorities are waiting for the results.

“So right now, those traffic investigators will try to determine was cellphone usage something that was going on? Was speed a factor in this crash? Was this an accident? So, that’s something that they are still working to determine kind of that cause,” Madison police spokesperson Stephanie Fryer said.

Madison police are now investigating the moments that led up to the crash, including talking to witnesses and reviewing security footage from the area.

“We know that this teen was crossing the street in a crosswalk when they were hit, so they weren’t going in and out of traffic,” Fryer said. “They were doing what they were supposed to be doing. So again, they’re just trying to figure out what exactly caused a driver to enter that crosswalk and strike this person.”

Police have not named the driver, nor have they indicated if the individual faces any potential charges.

A portion of South Park Street was shut down for about two hours while crews investigated.

Following the fatal crash, Fryer is encouraging drivers to be alert.

“I think traffic safety is something that impacts the entire city,” Fryer said. “We ask drivers just slow down. Put your phones down. We have had several big incidents recently and we don’t want to see this pattern continuing in our city, so just be as safe of a driver as you can be.”