2 kids struck in crosswalks less than 24 hours apart in Lafayette

LAFAYETTE, Colo. — Two children were struck by drivers while in crosswalks on Baseline Road in Lafayette in less than 24 hours. One of them was headed home from school Thursday afternoon, and the other was headed to to school Friday morning, according to Lafayette Police.

The first crash was reported just after 4 p.m. Thursday. At that time, the driver of a Toyota Highlander was headed west on Baseline Road at King Street when they stuck a girl who was crossing the street from south to north. She was in a crosswalk with the lights flashing when she was struck, said Brian Rosipajla, deputy chief of Lafayette Police.

The girl was taken to the hospital, where she remained as of noon Friday. The driver remained at the scene, and the case remains under investigation with charges pending.

A second crash was reported just after 8 a.m. Friday morning on Baseline Road at Roser Drive. That is less than a quarter mile from the first crash scene.

According to Rosipajla, a woman driving a grey BMW was headed west on Baseline Road when she struck a boy on a bicycle who was in a crosswalk with lights flashing.

The woman left the scene and was later arrested by deputies with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office near Baseline Road and 55th Street, according to Lafayette Police.

The suspect was identified as 38-year-old Katie Panetta. She’s expected to face multiple charges including hit-and-run, failure to remain at a scene with serious bodily injuries, and failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, Rosipajla said.

Both children remain hospitalized, but no further information about their conditions is known.