The mother of an 11-year-old girl hit by a pickup truck on Nov. 7 says bullying led her daughter to try to rush home, resulting in the child not seeing traffic lights change before a vehicle hit her near Portage Avenue and Ferry Road.
The girl was rushed to hospital in critical condition and was later upgraded to stable. The Grade 6 student suffered two broken legs and will require multiple surgeries to repair the damage.
Angela Smith said her daughter received a threatening text message right before the crash from another girl.
“She threatened to break a window and break into our house and so my daughter was scared for that. We have animals that she loves and she has a little five-year-old brother that she loves,” said Smith.
She said her daughter didn’t notice the traffic lights change while she tried to cross the road and was hit by the truck.
“This is what happens. It escalates into something that shouldn’t have been,” said Smith.
Safe Schools Manitoba said it’s time for bystanders to speak up to help counter bullying.
Mary Hall from the group speaks to kids about how to spot signs of bullying and how to help.
“Bystanders can play a key role in providing support to a child who’s being victimized but we can’t expect kids to do it on their own,” said Hall.
She said parents should talk to their kids about bullying and empower them to handle situations that may arise, asking questions about what they’d do in different types of situations.
Angela Smith said the bullying targeting her daughter had started just a few days before the crash. She had planned to talk to the school principal on Nov. 8, but her daughter ended up being rushed to hospital from the collision on Nov. 7.
Smith’s daughter is expected to spend the next four weeks in hospital and will require reconstructive surgery and several more years of rehabilitation.
Safe Schools Manitoba said more information on how to talk to kids about bullying can be found on its website.
This week also marks Bullying Awareness Week.
