Royal School principal Sandra Ishihara-Shibata, appearing on closed-circuit TV with Honolulu Police Officer Mel Andres today, reminded students about the dangers of jaywalking after two girls were hit by a SUV yesterday. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

The children, both girls, were struck so hard in the 5 p.m. accident yesterday that they lay motionless on the street for several minutes. They were initially taken to The Queen's Medical Center in critical condition, but improved today to fair.

The girls, ages 9 and 10, were alone and headed toward Royal Elementary School when they were hit in the makai-bound lane between Vineyard and the freeway, police said.

Ishihara-Shibata, principal of Royal, said she often lectures students about the dangers of jaywalking across Punchbowl.

Jaywalking happens so often near her school ­ and often with parents dragging their children behind them, she said ­ that her crossing guards keep a log of those who do it and then try call them later.

"It's a very dangerous street," she said. "It's really, really dangerous. We keep asking the students, asking their parents not to jaywalk."

Shortly after school started today, she took her message to the classrooms via closed-circuit TV. She was joined by Honolulu Police Officer Mel Andres, who works in the department's traffic safety unit.

"Some of your parents, I think need to be reminded of how important it is to be safe on the streets," Ishihara-Shibata said. "They are older but some get lazy and don't want to use the cross-walks. Let's educate them."

Andres reminded the children that the fine for jaywalking ranges from $77 to $102. He gave them pointers about using a crosswalk and cautioned that even though they use a crosswalk, they still have to be careful.

"While you're in the crosswalk never assume the drivers can see you," Andres told the children. "There is no invisible shield that will pop up and protect you."

Make eye contact with oncoming drivers, don't run because you might fall and a driver won't see you, and "if the sign says 'Don't Walk,' don't walk," Andres said.

Only one of the girls is a student at Royal, and Ishihara-Shibata spoke with the child, a fifth-grader.

"Think positive thoughts for our student in the hospital," Ishihara-Shibata told her students. "Let's all hope she gets well. Let's all welcome her when she gets back. And let's all know you have to be really, really careful."

The driver of the Isuzu SUV who hit the girl said yesterday that he had just gotten off the freeway and did not see the children.

"It was busy over here," said the driver, who did not want to be identified. The man and his two female passengers were not injured.

Alan Piiohia works near the scene at the Jiffy Lube and he said he heard the accident.

"We heard this loud bang," Piiohia said. "At first we thought it was two cars, but when I went to go run across the street, I saw the two girls lying on the road, motionless."

He and other co-workers comforted the two girls until an ambulance arrived.

Piiohia said he was surprised the girls weren't injured more seriously. He thought "they were dead because that sound, I thought it was a car. But he hit those two girls. It sounded like a car accident, like full head-on."

Piiohia said children often run into the street in that area.

"It's not only during school hours because there's a basketball court in the back, so this is happening all day and mostly all night," he said.