A petition calling for enhanced safety measures for pedestrians has collected thousands of signatures following a fatal bus crash in Westchester that left a kindergarten student and his mother dead.
The petition, created by the Mamaroneck Avenue School community, follows a crash on Thursday morning, June 20 at around 8:30 a.m., when the student and his mother were struck by a school bus at the intersection of New Street and Mamaroneck Avenue, according to the Village of Mamaroneck Police Department.
The two victims were hit while walking to the Mamaroneck Avenue School, authorities said, adding that the bus had been turning left onto Mamaroneck Avenue with the green light while also on the way to the school. As the bus turned, several parents and children had been crossing the street at the crosswalk with the walk sign on.
Both the child, age 6, and his mother, a 43-year-old Mamaroneck resident, died following the incident.
Since the crash, the Mamaroneck community has started a Change.org petition calling for safety improvements on roads in the village commonly used for walking to the school.
“Every child deserves a safe journey to school, and every parent should have peace of mind knowing their children can walk to and from school without fear,” the petition’s organizers wrote. The improvements called for by the effort include:
- Implementing crossing guards at all major intersections near the school during arrival and dismissal times;
- Installing brighter crosswalks with more signage to alert drivers of pedestrian zones;
- Adding speed bumps, flashing lights, and other traffic calming devices;
- Changing the traffic pattern to make sure all traffic is stopped at the intersection when pedestrians cross;
- Reducing the speed limit;
- Increasing police presence;
- Launching community education programs to teach drivers, parents, and children about road safety and awareness.
As of Friday, June 21, the petition had already collected over 2,200 signatures.
The petition calls for the implementation of new safety measures before the start of the next school year on Tuesday, September 3.
No charges have been announced in connection to the fatal crash. The driver, a 68-year-old Mount Vernon man, is cooperating with investigators, police said.
The Village of Mamaroneck Police Department and village officials are partnering with Westchester County to investigate ways to improve pedestrian and traffic safety at the intersection, authorities said.
