Kindergartener Killed by Falling Flagpole Near Detroit

High winds were the cause of the death of a 5-year-old student at Roosevelt Primary School in Ferndale, Michigan this Tuesday. The girl's name, Angel Pocock-Smith, was recently released, after her family had initially asked it to be withheld from the media.

The kindergarten student was playing outside on recess when the flagpole fell, hitting her in the head. Teachers and administrators were alarmed when at around 1PM the sounds of children playing turned to screams. The children were playing in an interior courtyard of the Detroit area school when the incident occurred. The remaining 14 students were taken inside immediately after, unharmed. 911 was immediately called and teachers remained with the girl until paramedics arrived. The 5-year-old was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

"She was a precious little girl. Kind of quiet. A wonderful student who got along well with her classmates," school principal Dina Krause said. "And she had an incredible smile."

The National Weather Service had issued a Wind Advisory for the Detroit area after 47 mile per hour winds were reported at Detroit's City Airport. The courtyard where the students were playing was however blocked from the high winds by the school building. The flagpole, stationed in the courtyard, did extend well higher than the school building and was carrying an American flag when the incident occurred.

The school was built in 1920 and had several renovations in the past. It was not immediately known how old the flagpole was, although school officials have confirmed that it was not a new feature.

Many parents are now asking the school administrators why the children were allowed to play in adverse weather.

"It's heartbreaking and hard to describe. You send your kids to school and you think they're going to be safe." Katie Thomas, one Ferndale parent added. "Of course I'm concerned. Now you have to stop and think 'Is everything intact?' "

School officials will continue to investigate the matter. "We tried to maintain (the flagpole) and inspect it on a regular basis," school superintendent Gary Meier said. "We are going to try to determine exactly what happened. It was not windy in the interior courtyard. That's why this is such a shock."

The school has arranged for grief counselors to be on hand to help the children and families adjust to the tragedy. "The district is very sad and feels a lot of hurt for the parents of the child," the superintendent added. "Our hearts go out to them, and we want the entire school family to pull together and I'm sure they will. This is a tragic time for our school."

The high winds were also to blame for a wildfire in nearby Macomb County. The harsh spring weather also knocked out power to over 30,000 Detroit area residents and closed a major highway due to downed power lines.