School Safety and Traffic

Police in Ankeny, Iowa, say a driver jumped a curb outside St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic School on Tuesday afternoon and plowed into a group of children walking on the sidewalk, injuring nine students. The crash happened around dismissal time outside the suburban Des Moines campus; officials said several children suffered serious injuries and were transported to local hospitals, though all were reported alive as of Tuesday evening. Authorities detained the adult driver at the scene and are investigating what caused the vehicle to leave the roadway, saying there was no immediate indication of a broader threat but declining to rule out impairment or medical issues pending further inquiry. Administrators locked down the school briefly, then began reuniting families as parents rushed to the area, while social media posts from local residents highlighted longstanding concerns about traffic speeds and congestion around school pickup zones. The incident underscores persistent school‑zone safety vulnerabilities and is likely to renew calls for stronger speed enforcement, barriers, and traffic‑calming measures near campuses.