UMKC student starts safety petition after another student killed in crosswalk

KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne covers issues surrounding government accountability and solutions. Share your story with Isabella.

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Drivers are supposed to stop at the flashing lights when someone pushes the crosswalk button at Troost Avenue and East 51st Street.

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But that doesn't always happen and it's led to serious and fatal accidents .

Hope Drake witnessed the Sept. 26th deadly crash where University of Missouri - Kansas City student Yuxi Wu was killed .

Wu died after being hit by a red Ford Focus.

She was trying to cross an unmarked crosswalk on a scooter when hit by the northbound car.

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"I watched that girl get her life cut short," Drake said.

It's something she never thought she'd see as a UMKC student.

"I was at the crosswalk probably a couple of feet behind her," Drake said. "It didn't feel real. It felt like I was watching something on a TV show."

Two days later, Drake started a petition for a stop light to be installed at the intersection.

Within two days, more than 200 people signed the petition.

"People want a light there and it sucks that something like this had to happen to bring this to light," Drake said.

Troostwood Neighborhood Association president Alfredo Garcia said the intersection needs to be safer, and dozens of other community members agreed at a neighborhood walking tour on Monday.

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"This is paramount," Garcia said. "We’re going to continue doing these types of walks, going to continue getting together, we’re going to continue writing petitions, whatever the case may be, we’re going to continue because that’s what we do.”

Kansas City Mayor Pro-Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw and other city officials heard the community's short-term solutions, including more signage and police patrols.

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"Those are the types of solutions the city could give us," Garcia said.

A stop light, bump-outs or changing the traffic lanes could take up to two years.

Garcia explained the city could help streamline communications to get the projects done faster.

"I think having an accountability person is the best thing," Garcia said. "I would love if they could [designate] one person that would be a liaison People in the city are busy. I don't blame them for not getting back out to us immediately, but [a liaison] is something that would help us out a lot."

The Kansas City Police Department said there have been four crashes at the intersection this year. Last year, there were eight crashes.

Drake hopes next year the number of traffic crashes will drop to zero.

"If me witnessing that was what needed to happen to get a petition out, then that's what needed to happen."

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