Alone on a Hill

As I drove behind the high school to pick my niece up, I saw a school bus stop, so I of course stopped.  It was a bus from the school where I work and my students poured out of the bus in front of the Housing Authority. 
"It's weird, Emma.  How can people say that racial disparity doesn't exist anymore?  Every one of the kids that got out at the Housing Authority were of color.  Not a single white kid over there".
"It's bullshit" she responded, as a few of them waved and called my name. I waved fondly to them, happy to be recognized. 

It was dark and I was racing to school, like always.  I roared down Memorial and slowed for the red light.  A car was awkwardly placed at the intersection, halfway through it and partially in the crosswalk.  I saw a dark figure shoot out of the car. 
I lowered my window. 
"Oh my God, oh no, oh my God!" an older African American woman screamed frantically.
I watched speechless as she and another woman dragged a child out of traffic that was screaming and grasping her leg in pain. 
My head was hanging through the window and not a sound came from my mouth.  People started to honk.  I should get out, I thought, they don't understand, there are very few street lights, no reflective things in the road, no crossing guard with reflective vests to cross these kids to the school.  Something bad has happened, they don't know.  The woman continued to wail, over and over again in the early morning darkness, horrified by what she had done. 
It was a guttural sound, "Oh my God, oh my Jesus, no!" true terror, true horror, over and over again.  
I was afraid I would get hit by oncoming traffic if I got out of my car.
 I did nothing.  

The light turned green.  I slowly guided my car around the ill fated car that had attempted to take a left on a green light in the darkness.  I pulled my phone out.

"911 can I help you?"
"A child has been hit by a car..." I said slowly, my voice starting to falter, realizing as I said it what had happened. 
"at the corner of.... of East Lake and Memorial...," my voice was seizing in my throat.  I was crying. 
"East Lake Terrace or East Lake Drive?"
"I'm not sure...by the new Drew Charter".
"Hold on a minute".
"By the Y?"
"Yes, by the Y".
"City of Atlanta?"
"Yes, City of Atlanta".
"Okay, we have your location.  Others are calling in about it".

"Thank you".