WEST CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A recent car accident involving a Lakota West High School student, who was struck and hospitalized on her way to school last Friday, has spurred the West Chester community to demand more stringent road safety measures. This call to action follows the tragic incident on Bethany Road in May when another student from neighboring Lakota East High School, Aspen Runnels, was hit and ultimately succumbed to her injuries.
Christina Alcorn, Aspen’s mother, has turned her grief into advocacy, pushing for legislative changes to enhance road safety in school zones. “Losing my best friend, my child, has been an unbearable loss,” said Alcorn. Moved by the latest accident, she emphasized the constant fear parents face about their children’s safety on the roads.
The district’s deeper look into the safety of school zones marks multiple occasions on which students have been endangered. One notable instance in 2018 involved a freshman at Lakota West who sustained serious injuries after being struck by a vehicle.
Reflecting on driving behaviors in the area, Alcorn remarked, “It seems there’s a lot of carelessness; speeds are generally high.” With the support of local parents and municipal leaders, she is championing “Aspen’s Law,” a proposal aimed at instituting stricter penalties for driving infractions in school zones and improving pedestrian crossing solutions.
Aspen’s Law, reflecting some of the punitive measures used in construction zones, would escalate charges from misdemeanors to felonies for drivers who strike someone in a school zone. Alcorn noted, “We’re committed to tearing down any barriers to child safety, ensuring that our tragedy is not repeated.”
Currently, the driver involved in the accident with Aspen, 26-year-old Kaitlyn Hyde, faces misdemeanor charges and has entered a plea of not guilty. Reports indicated that Hyde was distracted, adjusting her baby’s pacifier, at the time of the accident.
Local authorities and school officials are evaluating additional safety measures including enhanced signage, better lighting, and potentially reduced speed limits near school properties. These steps could significantly diminish the risks faced by students traveling to and from school.
The dual tragedies have evidently galvanized the West Chester community, bringing together grief-stricken families, concerned citizens, and policy makers united in their pursuit of safer school zones. Meetings among stakeholders are ongoing, with an aim to balance swift action with sustainable, effective safety enhancements. Their hope is to not only honor the memory of a life lost but to protect the futures of other children navigating these crossings.
As Aspen’s Law awaits legislative consideration, residents continue to rally for its urgent enactment, hoping their collective voice can instigate real change in roadway safety practices. With community engagement at its peak, there is a determined push to transform West Chester’s streets into model conduits of child safety and cautious driving.