Mother Facing Charges After Allegedly Striking Son With Vehicle Outside Elementary School, Driving Away

JEANNETTE (KDKA) -- Police say a woman behind the wheel of a vehicle struck her young son on school property in Jeannette at McKee Elementary.

Police say 33-year-old Frances Gross never stopped the vehicle to check on her child, just kept going.

Police were not notified until several hours after the Friday morning accident because the boy didn't tell anyone right away. When he told a teacher, the school nurse checked him out and determined he was not injured.

The school then tried to contact the boy's mother but had no luck.

School officials then looked at video from the student drop point and called police.

Investigators say the video shows the driver of a blue station wagon pulling up to the student drop off. The car stops, a student gets out, approaches the crosswalk, walks in front of the vehicle, then the car starts to move, hitting the boy. He falls to the ground but is seen getting up and running towards the school.

When police asked Gross what happened, she said she was dropping off her son and went to put her foot on the throttle but didn't realize someone was there and she slammed on the brakes. She says when her son ran inside the school, she didn't think he was hurt.

Police then went on to ask if she knew when you are involved in an accident, you are required to notify the police. She stated, "Yeah." When asked why she didn't call the police, she stated she "didn't know."

Gross will get a summons in the mail for several charges including reckless endangerment. She has a preliminary hearing June 20.