KEARNS, Utah — The day after 12-year-old Adam Mahamat was killed after being hit by an SUV while on his way to Kearns Junior High School, many FOX 13 News social media followers are wondering how road safety works at schools and how accidents like Thursday's can be prevented.
“I follow two rules,” said Sean Gomez, a sixth grader at Kearns Junior High School. “One, I always look at both sides. And two, if a car ever comes, either wait for them to give you a single to move or let them cross.”
Gomez said he learned that rule from his mom. That’s where most kids learn about road safety, from mom and dad. But is that enough?
The Granite School District, where Kearns Junior High School is located, works with local law enforcement agencies to determine safe walking routes; however, the final decision is up to local law enforcement agencies. The district doesn’t manage crosswalks themselves but does send out a pamphlet on crosswalk safety to schools and families.
Friends hold vigil at crosswalk where student struck, killed:
“Even in elementary, I feel like it's not very well explained to them,” said Sean’s mom, Francisca Vasquez. “But as a parent I feel that it's my responsibility to kind of make him aware."
Another resource is Safe Routes Utah, a Utah Department of Transportation program that helps students from third grade to middle school learn about how to get to and from school safely.
“School districts traditionally don't have their own training for kids,” said Kristen Hoschouer, program manager for Safe Routes Utah. “A lot of the time, they will look to us as a state organization. We have people who go all over the state who give presentations to elementary schools.”
Eighth grader Caleb Jones didn’t know Mahamat but what happened yesterday left him rattled.
“It’s hard to just hear that a fellow classmate has been hit by a car and passed,” Jones said. “But I can only imagine what the people who knew him as a close friend feel.”
Jones hasn’t seen many programs on road safety since elementary school and he’d like to see a few more reminders.
“Every quarter, at least an advisory, like a class to check in, to make sure that you know the rules of crosswalk safety,” Jones said.
While schools aren’t required to enforce crosswalk safety training or programs, Hoschouer says it's still important to remember that we all have a role in keeping each other safe.
“Our goal is zero fatalities and to understand that we all have a part in being safe,” she shared. “It is so important that drivers watch out for pedestrians and that pedestrians also make sure that they are looking where they are going. But a lot of the time it's the drivers. Drivers need to be watching and focusing on what is happening around them, and always know that if there is a crosswalk coming or an intersection, there could be a pedestrian."
Whatever it takes, families say, to keep kids safe.
“At least for me as parents there’s this overwhelming thought of what if it was my son,” Velasquez said. “Why did we have to wait for someone to say 'Yea finally lets get something going'.”
