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Children struck by van in Pollock Pines

Eric Jaramishian / Mountain Democrat
Pony Express Trail is shut down at Willow Street after the driver of a van ran into children as they crossed the street Wednesday morning. The van that was involved in the incident is pictured at left.
Eric Jaramishian/Mountain Democrat

Five children were injured after being hit by a van while crossing Pony Express Trail in Pollock Pines Wednesday morning.

Pollock Pines resident Steven Pickering said he was leaving a nearby dentist office when he saw an appliance repair service van run into a group of children crossing the street around 10:30 a.m. He said one child was knocked out of their shoes when they were hit. 

“The kid was hit back about 30 feet from the crosswalk,” Pickering said. “It was messed up to see.” 



The driver of the 2010 Ford E150 van has been identified by the California Highway Patrol as 21-year-old Placerville resident Jacob Glen Rose.

Those who saw the incident immediately rushed in to help out the injured children, including Starr Free who said she saw the van traveling westbound on Pony Express. 



“I saw this van coming around the corner and I saw the van slam into about eight children who were walking across the street with a rope. I saw three of them get fully run over,” Free told the Mountain Democrat, adding that she tried to comfort a young boy who she found laying on the ground about 50 feet from the crosswalk. 

One victim, a girl, was seen being loaded into the Medic 19 ambulance on a stretcher. Three patients were flown by air ambulance to UC Davis and Sutter Roseville medical centers, while another two were transported by ground to Marshall Hospital.

“It sounded like a car crash,” said Pollock Pines resident Patrisha Topper. “I came out when I heard screaming and saw one girl laying on the side of the road and another limping.” 

CHP Sgt. Adam Croxton said the five children were in the age range of 5-8 years old. A CHP news release showed four of the children were from Pollock Pines and another was from Placerville.

“The driver was cooperative and remained on the scene,” Croxton said. “For reasons unknown, he entered the crosswalk and made contact with the children.”

Croxton was not able to share if the driver is suspected of speeding but he did note the driver was not suspected of being under the influence.

Pony Express Trail was closed for about two hours as investigators processed the scene. 


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