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12-year-old Beach girl hit by car while walking to bus stop

Posted at 7:34 PM, Oct 02, 2013
and last updated 2013-10-02 19:36:17-04

Virginia Beach, Va. - A 12-year-old girl was caught in the middle of a car accident while she was walking to the bus stop Tuesday morning.

Now she is in the hospital recovering.

"The worst is not knowing how bad it is until you get there and you can see your child and touch them and hold them," Paul Gulrud told NewsChannel 3.

Emileigh Gulrud had just crossed Aragona Boulevard from Kellam road, and was standing off the street when she was knocked into a front yard. A Ford Explorer went through a stop sign and hit a Toyota Tacoma then pushed Emileigh to the ground.

NewsChannel 3 asked her father, Paul, if he was angry, and he replied, "Not now because I'm just worried about my daughter."

He's just grateful.

"If he didn't hit the other car first, it could have been a lot worse. [It scares you when] she tells you she looks up and the tire is between her legs as she's laying on the ground," he added.

Neighbors tell us that's when several kids at the bus stop rushed over to her and helped her off the ground.

Emileigh is in the hospital with a broken shoulder and she's waiting to get surgery.

"She's in a lot of pain. It can happen to anybody. You just don't think it's going to happen to you until it does," her dad said.

But he does think there could be adjustments to make that area safer.

"Maybe a crosswalk or at least a sign saying "bus stop" or something like that," he added.

NewsChannel 3 contacted the city about what they could do, and they told us they're looking into it.

As for the man who caused the accident, he's charged with reckless driving.