BOISE, ID — Seven years after his ten-year-old son was run over and dragged down the street by a driver, Heath Greenwald saw the destruction of reckless drivers speeding down his quiet north Boise street.
Late Saturday night, a driver in a grey Honda lost control while speeding around the corner of 20th and Ellis, driving through a pile of large rocks and a metal railing, until settling in the front landscape of Greenwald's home.
When talking to him about the concern of how people treat his street, Greenwald sighed saying, “We are just worried someone is going to die. It’s been close a couple of times now”.
With the constant growth in population in Boise, Greenwald says that the busiest times are during school mornings and in the afternoons after work. What once was a quiet side street that was safe for families to ride bikes on, seems to now be a thruway for many others.
Over the last 6 years, the homeowners near the corner of Ellis and 20th have seen much destruction, including Greenwald's own ten-year-old son being hit and dragged under a car by a reckless driver.
Greenwald described the horrifying scene saying, “She [the driver] didn’t know she hit him. She hit him and dragged him down the road.” It took a bystander to stop the driver and point out that the boy was under the car, preventing his son from being killed.
The homeowner went on to list many of the accidents he’s seen happen on his street.
“We've had multiple vehicles, from the front hit and run, my son has been run over, last year we had an intoxicated teen group come down the corner in the middle of the day and slam into a car and drive it three car lengths into a telephone pole and knock the telephone pole over.”
Talking to the Ada County Highway District, they said that situations need to be verified by a traffic study in order for a traffic stop to be installed. Traffic Engineering Supervisor, Colby Gederos explained, “Things like stop control, or traffic signals, have to meet certain requirements to be justified, because if they are unjustified, they may have negative consequences.”
If you have any concerns about street safety in your neighborhoods and communities, look up the ACHD website and go to the 'Contact Us' page, where you can fill out their form and make your request.
