Student struck by car at Dieruff High School, near where aide was fatally hit

Student struck by car at Dieruff High School, near where aide was fatally hit

By Sarah Mueller
September 16, 2022

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A Dieruff High School student was hit by a car this week near the school – just 10 days after a teacher’s aide died after also being hit by a vehicle outside the building.

On Thursday, the car hit the 13-year-old boy along East Tilghman Street after school.

He was sent to the hospital, but Allentown police said he is expected to be OK.

The vehicle’s operator was cited for careless driving.

Twenty-five-year-old Dieruff paraprofessional Angela Yowakim died near the corner of North Irving and Andre Reed Way on Sept. 6 after a vehicle ran into her in the morning hours before classes.

It has been ruled an accident.

Genesis Ortega with the Allentown mayor’s office said the city is lowering the speed limit along North Irving Street to try to reduce accidents around Dieruff.

“Right now it’s 30 miles an hour,” Ortega said. “We’re bringing that down to 25 miles an hour from Hanover Street to Union Boulevard.”

Ortega said residents should see new speed limit signs in the next couple of weeks.

Police Chief Charles Roca said his department recently held a morning enforcement operation when the school zone was active.

“In that instance, 13 state citations were issued,” Rocca said. “Ten of those citations were issued for speeding in the school zone – the fastest speed being 43 miles per hour.”

Other plans to encourage slower speeds around Dieruff and other schools include repainting crosswalks and conducting a study to evaluate taking other traffic-calming actions, Roca said.