Four Pedestrians Struck During First Monday

A 4-year-old child was transported by helicopter, and three others were hospitalized Saturday at around 3 p.m., after being struck by a vehicle at the intersection of State Highway 64 at Old Mill Marketplace.

According to a press release from the city of Canton, "A family of four from Flint, was struck by a motor vehicle while walking across Highway 64 East in Canton."

The 4-year-old boy was transported by Air One to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. His mother, father, and 5-year-old brother were transported by ground ambulance to Trinity Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler.

The report went on to state that "all four sustained injuries but are expected to fully recover."

The driver of the 2003 Lincoln Aviator passenger car, Jose Avelino Fernandez, 52, Forney along with his passenger were uninjured.

The report stated that Fernandez "was exiting a private parking lot on the north side of Highway 64 under busy traffic conditions when the accident occurred. The family was crossing the highway from south to north and was not using the crosswalk."

According to reports from Canton Senior Corporal Michael King, when he arrived at the scene he identified two adults and two children suffering from various injuries lying in the middle of the roadway.

According to King’s report, the crosswalk was 315 feet from where the accident occurred.

The victims Theodore Andrew Morawski, 39, Flint; Holly Renee Morawski, 37, Flint; and their 5 and 4 year olds, according to King’s report "were at fault in this accident."

He went on to state the statue-"A pedestrian shall yield the right-of-way to a vehicle on the highway if crossing a roadway at a place other than in a marked crosswalk."

"The failure of the Morawski’s to use the nearby marked crosswalk was the main contributing factor in this accident," King said.

The press release states that no citations were issued.

As of press time, all family members were doing well.

The Canton Police Department, Canton Fire Department, Department of Public Safety, Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office, and the Whitton Volunteer Fire Department assisted on the scene.