DES MOINES, Iowa — Two teenagers walking down a busy Des Moines street were seriously injured when a car crashed into them Friday afternoon.

The crash happened on SW 9th Street near Lincoln High School at about 3:30 p.m., just minutes after school let out. Des Moines Police say the crash happened when a driver traveling on SW 9th towards downtown collided with a driver trying to cross Kirkwood Avenue.

The impact between the two cars sent one of them into the two teens.

“We heard this big boom. Me and my niece went running and saw the accident,” said Julia Beener, a neighbor who heard the crash and witnessed the aftermath. “As we got down further, there were two kids laying on the sidewalk. One was conscious and the other was unconscious.”

The teenagers, who are still unidentified, were taken from the scene by ambulance with serious injuries. One is hospitalized at Blank Childrens’ Hospital, and the other at MercyOne Hospital.

Beener said the stretch of SW 9th Street where the accident occurred has been a constant worry for her. She said her family has lived near the inciting intersection for decades, and believes the stretch of road is dangerous for travelers of any age.

“I come down it every day to take kids back and forth to school and there’s so many people that fly,” Beener said. “People need to take their time, it’s not worth it. With two minors being hit, I would hope people think twice before getting behind that wheel and deciding they’ve gotta go.”

SW 9th Street was closed for more than four hours while police investigated the scene. There is no word on what charges the driver at fault may face for the crash.