HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-05-17 Public Comment - J. Hill - Traffic Control, Babcock_TracyFrom:Janet Hill
To:Agenda
Subject:Traffic control at the intersection of Babcock and Tracy
Date:Tuesday, September 05, 2017 6:53:45 AM
Dear Commissioners:
I urge you to consider installing traffic control at the intersection of Babcock and Tracy. A stoplight there will
prevent future accidents like the one that befell Dawson, my eight-year-old grandson, on Wednesday, August 23,
2017. I have not yet been able to access a history of the accidents that have occurred at that intersection, but am told
there have been many. However, I believe that even one accident is one accident too many. A traffic light would
have made it safe to cross the street.
Dawson and I were waiting to cross Babcock from the southwest corner. The driver of an SUV in the near (right)
lane heading east on Babcock stopped and waved for us to cross. My grandson ran ahead of me and collided with a
pickup moving east in the left lane. Dawson bounced off the side of the truck and was run over by the rear tire. It
was not possible for the driver of the pickup truck to see us in the crosswalk as the car in the right lane blocked his
view, so we don’t blame him. I’m sure, however, that he blames himself just as I blame myself because I did not
grab my grandson’s hand before letting him proceed. Unfortunately, self-incrimination, though it may prevent both
the driver and myself from repeating our mistakes, will not prevent the same thing from happening to someone else.
A stop light would.
If Dawson had gone a second sooner, he would have been hit by the truck front of the truck and probably killed. As
it is, he suffered a compound fracture, where one end of the snapped tibia pierced his flesh and ground into the
asphalt. The fibula was also broken. He has had surgery to clean the bone, repair and suture the wound, and pin the
bones in place, supported by an external fixator. He will need another surgery to remove the pins before his leg can
be put in a cast.
In time, Dawson's bones will heal. He’ll run and play again. The next pedestrian may not be so fortunate. So, please,
move quickly to make this intersection safe for both vehicles and pedestrians.
Sincerely,
Janet Hill