Montrealers call for road safety changes after 7-year-old Ukrainian girl killed in hit-and-run | 24CA News
The deadly hit-and-run that left seven-year-old Maria Legenkovska lifeless throughout her morning stroll to highschool on Tuesday occurred proper in entrance of Nathalie Turenne’s residence.
Turenne says she and lots of of her neighbours have all the time recognized the nook of de Rouen and Parthenais in Montreal’s Ville-Marie borough was hassle.
Cars go down a steep hill earlier than coming to the cease signal at that intersection, positioned in a faculty zone.
“It’s very sad news but also very frustrating because we’ve been asking for changes for years. We knew that something was going to happen,” Turenne mentioned.
“My daughter … she crossed that street every day, twice a day, for 10 years. She was the same age as that little girl when she started walking to school alone.”
On Friday morning, Turenne and dozens of different dad and mom and youngsters took half in a march within the midst of heavy snowfall to honour the younger sufferer, who had lately moved to Montreal after fleeing the warfare in Ukraine along with her mom and siblings.
The individuals who marched referred to as on town to step up highway security measures and make faculty zones safer. They brandished hand-painted indicators that learn “stop road violence.”
The march was organized by two teams, Piétons Québec and Vélorution Montréal.
The collision occurred in a residential space that numerous autos go via, given its proximity to town’s downtown core.
“It’s down a hill, so a lot of people don’t stop when they get to the stop sign,” Turenne mentioned. “A lot of cars take these streets to go to the South Shore, try to take shortcuts.”
On Tuesday, Juan Manuel Becerra Garcia, a 45-year-old man from the South Shore, turned himself in to police. The Saint-Hubert resident was charged with leaving the scene of a deadly accident. He was granted bail, topic to a number of situations.
‘We cannot look forward to yet another demise’
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante was at Friday’s march.
“It doesn’t make sense that our children are dying while going to school,” the mayor mentioned, including that Friday’s march sends a powerful message to town, the Quebec authorities and Montreal police concerning the want for higher highway security measures.
On Thursday, town introduced that cease indicators in that space could be enlarged, police patrols could be stepped up and a stretch of highway close to the Parthenais and de Rouen intersection could be narrowed to discourage rushing.
“We need more, for sure,” mentioned Stéphane Hamel, one other neighbour.
“We need a crossing guard because it’s a dangerous [intersection] and whatever you put, a stop, a light or whatever, people will go through it.”
Sandrine Cabana-Degani, the manager director of Piétons Québec, mentioned it is time for town to take heed to and deal with the issues of residents, who have been highlighting issues of safety at numerous intersections throughout Montreal.
“We have the power to act. We know what we have to do and we can’t wait for one more death before taking action,” she mentioned.
Some who frequent the intersection the place a 7-year-old woman was hit by a automobile Tuesday say it was an accident ready to occur.
