A child attending Springer Elementary School in Mountain View was struck by a car Thursday morning, Sept. 30, one of at least three Los Altos School District students have been hit by vehicles while walking or biking near schools in recent weeks.

The Springer student was walking to school with his parent and was in a crosswalk on Rose Avenue when a car collided with him, Superintendent Jeff Baier said. Police and paramedics were called to the scene and the student was transported to an area hospital.

"When we arrived, there was one student injured in the roadway (who) suffered minor injuries," Mountain View Police Department spokesperson Katie Nelson said.

The student has since been released, Baier said, adding that school staff expected him to return to the classroom on Monday, Oct. 4.

In the days following the collision, the boy's mother reported that she was also hit by the vehicle, Nelson said in a follow-up email.

The crash involving the Springer School student was first reported by the Los Altos Town Crier.

According to Nelson, the driver remained on the scene and was "more than cooperative." Alcohol or drugs do not appear to be factors.

"We're looking to determine what led to the collision, at this point," Nelson said.

Thursday's crash is the most recent is a "string" of accidents involving cars striking students near schools, Baier said.

A Covington Elementary School student on a bicycle was hit by a vehicle at the corner of Campbell Avenue and Cuesta Drive the week before last, Baier said. In that case, he said the student was able to return to school the following day.

A few weeks ago, an Egan Junior High School student was "clipped" by a car while on a bicycle at the intersection of San Antonio Road and Portola Avenue, Baier said.

With school back in session, Baier urged drivers to be extra cautious near schools, given the number of young children navigating local roadways. That means doing things like coming to a complete halt at stop signs and making eye contact with pedestrians and bicyclists, Baier said.

"We absolutely want the children, and the parents, to feel safe having their kids walk, bike (and) roll to school," Baier said. "Neighborhood schools are part of the fabric of this community and we do want to make sure that we're exercising the caution necessary to make that happen safely."

Nelson similarly stressed the importance of being careful near schools.

"Parents, drivers, please keep an eye out for kids in the roadway. Please drive the speed limit," Nelson said. "At the end of the day, we obviously want schools to be a safe environment for everyone."

One factor in the recent series of collisions may be that more students are on the roads this fall as schools reopen following two years of full or partial closures during the pandemic, Baier said. Adults may also have been driving less frequently as many worked from home, he added.

Baier said he intends to send additional reminders to parents and will make traffic safety the focus of his "superintendent's update" message to families this month. Pedestrian and bicyclist safety lessons were also already planned in physical education classes.

Update: This story was updated Oct. 25 to reflect the fact that the mother of the Springer School student also reported being involved in the collision.