A petition is circulating in the Quinte West area calling for support for a crossing guard at every crosswalk in school areas.
This comes after a 12-year-old boy was struck by a vehicle on King Street and Third Avenue near Trenton High School.
The boy’s aunt, Jaime Fitzakerley, says there are continually inattentive drivers at the crosswalk.
“We had a bus driver that came up to us and said she’s seen people every day, run that crosswalk. Every day,” Fitzakerley tells Quinte News.
“Nobody stops for the children and my nephew is the first one that got (hit) on it.”
According to Fitzakerley, her nephew suffered multiple broken bones and is recovering in hospital, despite following the rules of the crosswalk with “the lights flashing and sounds going off.”
“I don’t want any other child or any other parent to have to go through this situation,” Fitzakerley said.
In response, Fitzakerley and her husband Brad have created a Change.org petition calling on a crossing guard to be put at all crosswalks near schools in the Quinte West area.
“Quinte West needs to prioritize our children’s safety over anything else. We must implement measures like placing crossing guards at busy intersections near schools where young students aged 11-13 frequently cross,” Brad Fitzakerley says in the petition.
“Let us ensure that our kids can walk safely to and from their schools without fear.”
Jaime Fitzakerley says she hopes the petition will bring enough attention to Quinte West City Council.
“I just appreciate everybody coming on board and all these signatures and all the comments that we received and people reaching out,” she tells Quinte News.
“We do appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts, our whole family.”
A link to the petition can be found here.
