VANCOUVER, B.C. — Debbie Bryson has been campaigning for safer street crossings since her eldest daughter was killed as she tried to cross the street last October in Surrey.
Ashley Bryson, 29, was on her way home from the corner store, within sight of the apartment she shared with her mom and grandmother. She was crossing the street at an unmarked intersection at 105A and 132, a truck plowed into her, killing her on impact.
Within days of Ashley’s death, her mother decided to turn a tragedy into something positive. She went to City Hall and asked that a crosswalk be put in where her daughter died.
“Of course everybody said, ‘they’re not going to do that, just because your daughter died there.’ And I said, ‘why not. It doesn’t hurt to try.'”
The city of Surrey listened. Work is now underway at the intersection for a full pedestrian controlled crosswalk, which is slated to be operational by September. With an elementary school and high school within two blocks, neighbourhood residents are pleased and say that it’s about time something was done.
But while this intersection will soon be safer, Debbie says still too many pedestrians are getting hurt and killed in her city. On June 30, two women were seriously injured at another unmarked intersection in Surrey.
“It was like somebody kicked me in the gut all over again,” said Debbie. “Something’s got to be done. This is ridiculous.”
–With files from Elaine Yong.
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