Nine students were injured on Tuesday after a driver struck them with a vehicle at a school in , according to officials.
The incident happened around 3:15 p.m. as students were being picked up from St. Lukes Catholic School on NW Weigel Drive, city police and fire officials said at a news conference.
A vehicle in the pickup line jumped the curb and struck the students, officials said.
in line provided aid to the children until emergency responders arrived at the scene. The nine victims were then rushed to local hospitals.
Some of the students who were struck suffered serious injuries, according to officials. Their ages and conditions were not made publicly available, but the school teaches students from kindergarten through eighth grade.
The driver, who has not been identified, was not injured and remained at the scene after the incident.
Sgt. Trevor McGraw, a spokesperson for the , told reporters that the incident did not appear to be an intentional act of violence.
Investigators are continuing to probe what may have caused the collision.
People were asked to avoid the area to allow emergency responders to access the scene.
“Thank you to parents from the school pickup line who assisted the injured immediately while emergency services were on the way,” city officials said. “Thank you to teachers and staff for assisting injured students and students who witnessed the traumatic incident.”
The Des Moines Diocese told WHO 13: “Please know that we pray for the families involved and for the first responders who assisted.”
