MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A 12-year-old girl was hit by a car near her school Wednesday. We’re learning the incident happened shortly after school dismissed.

According to police the girl is in non-critical condition. She was taken to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.

Police report getting a call to the 500 block of S. Bellevue Boulevard at 3:35 p.m.

Multiple Memphis Police Department squad cars lined the intersection of S. Bellevue and Harbert Avenue following a call that a child was hit by a car.

“It hurts because when I got the text that one of the kids been hit, I’m like, ‘oh my Lord.’” Parent Monique Watson told FOX13 as she picked her daughter up from school Wednesday. “People don’t pay attention in Memphis and around the school zones everybody wants to go fast.”

Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) identified the student as a 12-year-old girl who attends Bellevue Middle School. MSCS Chief of Communications, Dr. Cathryn Stout, urges drivers to be cautious and alert while in school zones.

“We know dismissal is always a busy time for our district,” Stout said. “When our students are letting out of school, I always say slow down in our school zones.”

We did some digging about dangers in school zones. In a 2016 report, Safe Kids Worldwide found a 13% increase in the pedestrian death rate for 12-19-year-olds since 2013. Safe Kids Worldwide is a non-profit organization that works to help families and communities keep kids safe from injuries.

The Alarming Dangers in School Zones Report also says there are five teen pedestrian deaths every week in the United States.

We took a closer look at options for preventing these dangers. The study suggests setting speed limits at no more than 20 miles per hour in school zones and educating parents and students about dangerous walking and driving patterns.

Meanwhile, Stout sends out a stern public reminder to drivers.

“Watch out for our students. They are our most precious gift to the city,” Stout said.