Despite receiving support from council on Monday to install a stop light at the Murray Street and Reaume Avenue intersection, parents and local residents are still concerned about the safety of children.
Adrienne Barbosa, one of the parent volunteers who attends the intersection on a daily basis, said her and Everett Collrin, another volunteer, witnessed a child almost get hit by a car on Thursday.
“We experienced lots of chaos with vehicles not being able to see the lights on since it was so bright and sunny out,” Barbosa wrote on a Facebook group called Keep Kids Safe on Murray/Reaume.
“Many times vehicles drove through the lights. Well, a boy with shoulder length brown hair and a sky blue t-shirt was almost hit. It was so close that it brought tears to my eyes as I felt my heart pounding outside of my chest.”
Barbosa said the boy activated the lights and looked both ways.
“It was clear and there was enough time for vehicles to notice,” she said.
“This boy was walking by himself. He proceeded to walk out and I proceeded to walk out with him in my high visual vest, but I was further back, just finished helping another group cross Reaume, noticing he was about to walk across. This vehicle was travelling from (Highway 40) towards the Murray Street bridge, and was going about 65km/h.”
Barbosa added: “I started flapping my arms trying to get (their) attention to slow down and look at the light. The van finally realized that there was a kid on the road and slammed on their breaks as Everette pulled the kid back. The vehicle was practically at arms length from the kid. If the kid didn’t stop after from seeing us waving and yelling stop. He would have been hit.”
Barbosa said the child then grabbed his chest and said ‘oh my God.’
“Just thinking about this brings tears to my eyes,” she added
“I don’t know if people are aware of this but when we help them cross the road because they are scared, they actually say ‘thank you and sigh a relief.'”
Krystal Gyuricza, who has spearheaded daily protests at the intersection, told the Sydenham Current more volunteers are needed on a daily basis at the intersection, before and after school.
There is no definite time table for when the stop light will be installed, as the changes are going through the Municipality’s tendering process.
The Chatham-Kent Police Service have said they will continue to monitor the intersection as well.
– Photo credit: Aaron Hall
