Persell Middle School is pictured Tuesday afternoon from Hazeltine Avenue. P-J photo by Eric Tichy

A parent is calling on city and public school officials to install a crosswalk and pedestrian crossing light after two students were apparently struck by vehicles this month outside a middle school.

A change.org petition had already received more than 950 signatures as of Tuesday evening.

Earlier in the day, the Jamestown Public Schools District said a student had been hit by a vehicle while walking on Hazeltine Avenue and near Persell Middle School. The student was transported to UPMC Chautauqua for an evaluation after suffering minor injuries, Jamestown police reported.

In his petition, Matthew Canby said his stepson was also hit by a vehicle while crossing Hazeltine Avenue, with this incident occurring Dec. 1.

“He luckily walked away with only bumps, bruises and scrapes,” Canby wrote. “While it was truly an accident, it could have been avoided. No child should ever have to go through this and no parent should ever get that call. We’re so lucky that it wasn’t worse.”

Following Tuesday’s incident outside the middle school, the district noted that the “safety of students and staff” remained its top priority.

The district said it was taking “a number of steps” to review traffic safety procedures.

“The district will increase supervision and monitoring during arrival and dismissal, and will continue to remind students of the expectation to cross only in designated crosswalks,” the district said in a statement to parents and released to the media.

There is a pedestrian crosswalk near the school, located on Hazeltine at State Street.

“The district has contacted the city of Jamestown to explore a partnership in a traffic study of the Hazeltine Avenue and Baker Street intersection for potential traffic control devices and pedestrian safety measures,” the district said. “We have asked our families to discuss with their children the importance of crossing only at crosswalks and taking care to watch for oncoming traffic before entering the street. We ask our community to also observe the 20 mph speed limit in school zones and watch for pedestrians.”

Canby noted that many parents use a parking lot across the street from the school to pick up students. He said many of those students also go to the 7-Eleven after school, crossing Hazeltine during afternoon traffic.

“There is no safe way for kids to cross,” he said. “This was an issue when I attended Persell 20 years ago and was never addressed.”

Canby is calling for a crosswalk and light at the corner of Hazeltine and Palmeter Street.