Two Duval County Public Schools students have been hit by cars, and a middle schooler was killed during just the first week of the 2025-2026 school year.

“It is tragic that this week that we did have one fatality,” Commander Scott Lundquist with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office traffic unit said Saturday. “But we had, that’s why we put our motor officers out there, our traffic officers out there to try to educate and enforce these school zones, the areas where the buses are going.”

Duval County Public Schools superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier posted this statement to social media Friday, saying in part:

“No family should ever endure such a tragedy. As a parent and as your superintendent, I feel this loss deeply.”

Now, at a community crime walk in Jacksonville’s Clifton area Saturday morning, Commander Lundquist highlighted the need not just for drivers to stay vigilant on the roadways, but for parents to talk to their students about staying aware themselves when crossing the road, as it just may save their lives.

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“I teach my kids – and it’s just out of habit – anytime I cross a roadway, I look left and right,” Commander Lundquist highlighted. “It is important to get off the phone and pay attention to the environment around you.”

Law enforcement also says one thing parents can do to keep their students safe around Jacksonville roadways is to buy any sort of reflective material to go on their helmets when biking or buy bright backpacks and colorful clothing, to keep them visible and keep drivers aware.

“You can buy things off Amazon or any other website that have like reflective material on it. It can just be as much as a wristband,” Commander Lundquist suggested. “But something like that just to be able to see in the low light areas have them show tell the importance of maybe walking in the oncoming traffic, but on the sidewalk or in the grass area. That way, people can see them, and they can see the vehicles coming at them.”

42 students were hit by vehicles on their way to or from school during the 2024-205 school year, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, with three of those students killed. Now, Jacksonville law enforcement and school leaders are looking to improve on those numbers for the 2025-2026 school year.

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