Grant Rodgers

grodgers@dmreg.com

A 16-year-old Des Moines boy crossing the street died after being hit by a road grader Thursday afternoon, according to police.

At about 2:40 p.m., police responded to a report of an accident at Southwest Ninth Street and Loomis Avenue near Lincoln High School, according to a news release.

Antonio Sanchez-Peck, 16, was crossing the street and was struck by a road grader as it was driving north on Southwest Ninth, according to the release. He was transported to hospital where he died as a result of injuries in the accident.

The road grader had a City of Des Moines logo on it.

Amanda Lewis, a spokesperson for Des Moines Public Schools, said she could not discuss whether Sanchez-Peck was a student at Lincoln. A federal law bars school districts from releasing certain information about students, such as confirming their enrollment or grade, if a parent or guardian "opts out" of allowing it, she said.

"Out of respect for the family and their privacy, we cannot discuss any educational information about this young man," she said in a statement. "His family is in our thoughts and prayers."

The northbound lanes of Southwest Ninth between Bell Avenue and Loomis Avenue will be closed for an extended period of time, according to the release. The road grader was driven away from the scene shortly before 5:30 p.m.

In recent years, city leaders have been talking about the desire to alter Southwest Ninth Street to slow down traffic and improve pedestrian safety. One idea is to reduce the four-lane road to one lane in each direction with a center turning lane, similar to the changes implemented on Ingersoll Avenue in 2010.

In 2016, Josef Fuller, 12, was hit by a car and killed while trying to cross the street a few blocks from Lincoln High School.

The Thursday collision appeared to have happened in the middle of the block in front of Lincoln between Bell Avenue and Loomis Avenue. A lone shoe that was marked as evidence sat behind the parked road grader as Des Moines police officials investigated the scene.

The city created a special taxing district along Southwest Ninth Avenue in 2016 to help pay for landscaping, public art and other improvements along the street.

Reporter Joel Aschbrenner contributed to this report.