(BEDFORD) – Cameron Irwin, a friend of 7-year-old Kiersten Ray, has started a petition for a four-way stop at Second and P Streets in Bedford. His action comes after his friend Kiersten was struck by a vehicle Monday evening while riding her bicycle.
Ray suffered bumps, bruises, and a broken leg after she rode into the path of a pickup truck at the intersection of Second and P streets. She was transported to IU Health Bedford and then airlifted to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis.
She was able to come home from the hospital Wednesday evening and is recovering from her injuries.
Kayla Ray, Kiersten’s mother, stated, “my daughter was out playing around 6:30 p.m. and was on the way to Cameron’s house when a few minutes later I heard what sounded like gunshots.”
Kayla started walking down the alley on P Street when a neighbor started running, stating someone was hit by a vehicle. When she arrived, she found her daughter being held by a neighbor, and saw blood everywhere.
“I was scared, and my leg was hurting very badly,” Kiersten said. “I was really in a lot of pain and could not feel my leg.”
Bedford Police Major Danny Irwin, who was off duty at the time of the incident, responded to the accident and administered first-aid until an ambulance arrived.
Kayla says she is thankful Kiersten didn’t suffer any major head trauma, just stitches to close a deep cut. She underwent surgery and had a rod placed in her leg to help heal a broken tibia and fibula.
Children in the neighborhood made get well cards and brought gifts and Major Erwin even purchased a new bicycle for Kiersten.
“I really like the new bike,” she added.
Following the accident, 12-year-old Cameron Irwin, who will be a sixth-grader at Bedford Middle school, told everyone in the neighborhood something needed to be done to make the area safer.
He started a petition to install a four-way stop at the intersection of Second and P streets.
“I started the petition because my friend got hurt,” he added. “I have been able to get 68 signatures to get the four-way stop put in.”
“There are several children in our neighborhood that ride their bikes in the middle of the street,” according to Ed Brooking, a neighbor near Third and O streets. Since the construction on Lincoln Avenue, traffic and congestion have increased.
The area has several places where there are no sidewalks; however, there are speed bumps in the alleys to help slow down traffic in the area. There are four-way stops at Third and P streets, and First and P streets. There are no sidewalks in the area and there are vehicles parked on both sides of the street.
“A small child would have a hard time seeing a car or drivers can’t see them,” Brooking added.
Danny Irwin says he was not able to get on the June agenda of the Board of Works but the plan is to address the board during the July meeting.
The petition drive is totally the work of his son, who says the four-way stop is needed to slow motorists down.
“I understand people get frustrated with construction. But, motorists need to be reminded to slow down,” Kayla added. “Just takes a couple of minutes. Our children are precious, and we need motorists to be extra careful while the construction is going on. My husband is in construction, so I know the importance of them having to work.”
Cameron has been canvassing the neighborhood to get more signatures. His goal is not to have an impressive number of signatures but to convince Bedford city officials the importance of a four-way stop sign at the intersection and to get one up as soon as possible.
“I plan to look both ways when riding my bike,” Kiersten declared. But it will be a while before she gets to ride her new bike. She will be in a cast for a couple of weeks and then she will be put in a new cast. Recovery will probably take at least another three weeks or longer.
