Cape Coral crash that injured teen raises concerns about road safety

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK)—A 14-year-old girl is fighting for her life after being hit by a car while riding her scooter in Cape Coral.

The incident happened at Veterans Parkway and Santa Barbara Boulevard on Friday night in a busy area where the Wawa and Target shopping center is located.

The crash is raising concerns about safety on this road, which has seen similar incidents.

Stella Piscopo's birthday was Friday, and instead of celebrating, she's in the hospital with a broken leg, hip and a brain bleed.

As of now, the driver who hit her is not facing any charges.

Stella was crossing the intersection on her scooter when she waited for a break in traffic before continuing across. A pickup truck then hit her.

Stella was initially taken to a local hospital after being declared a trauma alert, but she was eventually flown to a children's hospital in St. Petersburg.

This is not the first time a teen has been hit at this intersection. About a year ago, another teen was also struck at this location.

WINK News spoke to the parent of the teen who was hit at the same intersection last year, and she says change is vital to protect the community.

"Make laws that you can't ride here, you can't do this. I don't know, but I know that there is a need for change," Jacqueline Chack said.

Her son had a broken leg and made a full recovery. Stella's mother says she's in critical condition.