EAST HELENA — As a parent, one of the last things you want to worry about is your child getting to and from school safely. A recent accident is bringing attention to the crosswalk by Prickly Pear Elementary for how it can be made safer for students and families.
Last Thursday, first-grader McKoy Beaty was biking home when he was struck by a vehicle leaving the school parking lot, leaving his mom with emotions no parent should have to experience.
“Panic,” said McKoy’s mom, Silver. “When the door knocks, and you look at the Ring camera, and it's a sheriff's deputy, there's immediate panic and heart drop when your kids aren't home yet, and it's time for them to be home.”
(WATCH: Calls for change following student hit at crosswalk in East Helena)
McKoy was wearing a helmet at the time. He was taken to the hospital and treated for minor injuries, and has since returned to the classroom, even being gifted a new bike from the community.
However, the incident has reignited concern about traffic on Valley Drive and Montana Avenue, a concern that’s been around for years.
“I’ve voiced concerns about the crosswalks in the past,” Silver stated. “I’ve seen plenty of near misses myself.”
Four of the five East Helena schools are either off of, or a few blocks from, the two roads, serving 1,500 to 1,800 kids and their families, causing congestion that impacts everyone.
“It's a real struggle for our drivers to get up and down Valley Drive right now with things set up the way they are,” said East Helena superintendent Dan Rispens. "So you just mix all that traffic together, and it's super confusing and congested and calls for a heightened sense of awareness and care.”
East Helena Police say they do their best to patrol around the schools both in the morning and afternoon during pick up and drop off.
They also say that traffic stops and citations are quite common along this stretch of road.
“There's always driving infractions it seems like, we do a lot of traffic in East Helena,” East Helena police chief Ed Royce continued, “We just can't be everywhere all the time, so we do our best with what we have.”
Before the incident, the city had already ordered two new flashing speed signs for the area to slow traffic, telling drivers if they had gone over the 25 mph speed limit.
Additionally, the school district is going over options to improve safety further, such as adding a crossing guard during peak traffic windows. They are hoping to see changes for next fall.
After the accident, Prickly Pear Elementary Principal Brandon Crusat went out the very next day, acting as a crossing guard to ensure the kids' safety, and plans to do so until the end of the school year.
In the meantime, law enforcement and school officials remind East Helena to stay vigilant in school zones to keep students safe.
The Beaty family is thankful to the East Helena community, school district, and law enforcement for their support of their son’s recovery.
“We’re gonna walk home today and just kind of prove to them more than anything that it's okay, that it's still safe, and that this isn’t gonna stop them from living their daily lives,” Silver said.
