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One accident is enough for parents in west Maple Ridge

They want city to turn intersection into a four-way stop
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Colleen Flanagan photo From left, Kaitlin Smith, Stephanie Raposo, Jennie Saranchuk, Stacy Baillie and Leslie Higginson, want to see a four-way-stop at the corner of 121 Avenue and 214 Street in Maple Ridge.

The sight of a student being hit in a crosswalk and rolling several times into the oncoming lanes bothered Jenny Saranchuk for hours.

She couldn’t sleep that night after witnessing the collision in mid-afternoon on April 20.

Usually, the Grade 7 student tags along with her and her kids as he walks home from Glenwood elmentary. But she needed her vehicle that day, rushed home early and was already on the road when she saw the boy hit by an another vehicle. Fortunately, the vehicle wasn’t going fast and quickly stopped. The day of the collision, it was raining and the intersection was busy with the after-school rush.

Sightlines were obscured by the traffic for both pedestrians and motorists. “It was a matter of unfortunate events,” said Saranchuk.

“In my opinion, she (the driver) wasn’t speeding,” said Saranchuk. But it was still enough to send the student flying.

Thanks to a thick backpack he was wearing, the boy’s head didn’t hit pavement as he rolled, but he did suffer a broken leg and collar bone.

One such collision is enough for local parents, who want the city to turn the intersection of 121st Avenue and 214th Street into a four-way stop. There are no speed bumps or round-abouts nor and the speed limit is 50 kmh on 121st Avenue.

“Even as an adult, the cars don’t stop for me, ” said Saranchuk.

“If there had been a four-way stop, the accident probably wouldn’t have happened.”

Saranchuk has contacted the City of Maple Ridge who told her the intersection has had only accident there and that the budget currently doesn’t schedule any improvements. But Saranchuk knows of at least another accident in December.

And besides, one is enough. That’s the theme of her Facebook posting where Saranchuk holds a sign reading, “1 is enough.”

She rejects the city’s explanation that nothing will be done in terms of speed, sidewalks, stop signs, round abouts or speed bumps. “With only a minor chance that sight lines will be addressed. Completely unacceptable.”

“… as a community, as parents and as students, that we won’t be just a stat and we won’t be a bottom line on a budget report,” she said.

She’s also collecting a petition that she wants to present to council.