NORMAL – Although willing to talk about the fact her then-fourth grade age son was hit by a car as he crossed the street with a crossing guard on duty during the previous school year at Colene Hoose Elementary School, Pamela (who said she preferred her last name not be given out) explained her then-4th grade-age son, Ricky, was one of two youngsters crossing the street at the intersection of Blair Dr. and Grandview Dr. The incident occurred Aug. 24, 2022.
Pamela said her son, who is student with special needs at the school, was using a crosswalk around the school and being aided by a crossing guard when the driver sped through the crosswalk. At a session with about 10 other parents and a facilitator from Unit 5, Pamela said the group of parents were discussing “how to make the crossings safer, not just for the crossing children but also not cause traffic problems.†Traffic problems, she reminded could include trouble for parents trying to either drop off or pick up their youngsters from school.
She added vehicles driving down Blair Dr. which turn onto Vernon Ave. most likely having been on College Ave. pose difficulties for parents wanting to either safely drop off or pick up their youngsters. In her child’s instance, a crossing guard holding a stop sign was present but the driver, she said, according to witnesses, was speeding, and reports a rising sun was in the driver’s eyes.
On Tuesday night, nearly Pamela was among 100 area residents turned out in a fourth floor Uptown Station conference room to learn about a potential redesign of Vernon Ave. The phrase “road diet†was introduced in describing by Town officials the idea of reducing the road from being currently four lanes to becoming either three lanes or two lanes.
The location of where work on the nearly two-mile road would run Beaufort St. going to Towanda Avenue. Parts of the road the work would involve include intersections at Linden St. and Grandview Dr., and sections of the Constitution Trail where familiar and popular crosswalks now exist.
It also passes the Illinois Art Station and Colene Hoose Elementary School.
In a report to the community’s daily newspaper, The Pantagraph, Normal Police Officer Brad Park confirmed first responders were called to the scene just before 7:30a.m. and that the driver of the east bound vehicle had the sun in his eyes which prevented being able to see either the student or the school crossing guard. That report also mentioned the boy was taken to a local hospital to treat minor injuries the boy sustained, and Park added drivers should exercise caution when driving through school pedestrian crossings.
Those attending floated several options for the street during the 90-minute session, including keeping the street as a four-lane road, with potential changes for the road which included adding bike lanes, widening the sidewalks along the street for bike riders, putting in parking, and doing something in an effort to improve crosswalks in the area. There has also been talk about installing a roundabout at the intersections at Linden St. or Grandview Ave. according to published reports.
“I hope changes get made and the crosswalk gets safer,†Pamela said. “That’s a dangerous crossing for kids.†She added construction work on a 16-acre natural playground near the school increased problems for those wishing to cross the street there.
Having had that experience from the incident, Pamela said her son “is doing well now.â€
Pamela said, as a result of the situation, an attorney is now involved, and because of that, there was not any detailed information about the situation she could provide.
Pamela could say there were “many more close calls†of youngsters nearly being hit at that same crossing. She added after her son’s incident, the school rerouted the pick-up area for parents to pick up students to the rear of the school. Pamela described that change by the school as being “wonderful.â€
She said she is of the understanding Colene Hoose Elementary officials will keep the drop-off point toward the back side of the school building, and that prior to the incident, she said she was aware the school had received complaints about the initial location of the pick-up area.