FRISCO, Texas- Recently, a tragedy occurred outside Roach Middle School on Independence Parkway and George Washington Drive.
The incident occurred at 5:30 a.m. on Aug. 9, 2023. Landon Bourque, a Heritage High School sophomore, was struck and killed by a driver while riding his bike to school.
The aforementioned follows a string of accidents involving bicyclists and automobiles. Just a few weeks before this accident a 14-year-old died from a similar crash in The Colony, and in another accident in Southlake, a 12-year-old died after being hit by a truck.
This by no means is Frisco’s first run-in with incidents like these. In 2022, Ethan Reyes, a then-Centennial High School junior, was struck by a car while biking home from school.
Hope Elliott, a senior at Centennial High School, recounts how she felt about the accident.
“All of our French Class…went over to his house and he was just in a wheelchair, and we felt so bad for him.”
Further adding, “It seems like something that will never happen to someone but when it happens to one of your friends, it’s like oh my gosh, something needs to be done to prevent these things.”
Elliott isn’t alone regarding this sentiment, Reyes feels the same way about action needing to be taken.
“Cities, like Frisco, need to invest in more regulated pedestrian crosswalks, like the one next to Maus [Middle School]. This makes traveling at any time safer for everyone, not just students,” he stated.
According to a study by the NHTSA (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration), in 2021, over 7,000 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents. Reyes thinks that additional action can be taken to ensure students make the commute to or from school safely and with peace of mind.
“I think schools need to invest in bike lights and reflectors to provide to students for free.”
Studies by the CDC have shown that lighting on bicycles, along with other interventions like reflective clothing show hopeful signs of reducing injuries and fatalities.
Reducing car speeds is another factor that could prevent some accidents from occurring. School zones, for example, help curb speeding before and after school, when cyclist and foot traffic around schools are high.
“I think it’s really important for school zones. It can be annoying especially when you’re a driver, but they are there for a reason,” Elliott said.
Reyes knows personally the dangers of being involved in an accident with a motor vehicle. “I had a fractured pelvis in two places, both requiring titanium rods via surgery to correct the injury. I had an abrasion on both my elbow regions, and I spent two months in a wheelchair, one month in crutches, and four months in physical therapy.”
With all the stories of horrendous accidents occurring between cyclists and automobiles, it’s hard not to wonder what can be done. Well for starters, drivers can slow down and obey posted speed limits. Cities can also implement better street design, taking into account where accidents are most likely to happen between cyclists/pedestrians and drivers.
Lastly, encouraging safer driving practices and heavier enforcement of texting and driving laws, can help to mitigate the chances of an accident occurring. Hope Elliott put it best, “People should have their eyes open more, put down their phones, and know that you’re driving a vehicle that can put other people’s lives at risk.”
