After elderly couple’s traffic deaths, Boiseans rally for change in driving culture
Despite a lengthy downpour, about 50 people gathered Wednesday evening near a Boise intersection where an elderly couple were hit by an SUV to honor them and others who have been killed in crashes while walking, bicycling or rolling in the city.
Organizers with the Idaho Walk Bike Alliance and community participants called for drivers to be held more accountable when their actions result in serious crashes, and for public officials to consider infrastructure changes to improve safety before people die, not just after.
Mindi Schnacker, whose 13-year-old daughter, Olivia, was hit and killed while riding her bike in a Ustick Road crosswalk on Easter Sunday five years ago, was one of several family members of victims who spoke at the “Walk of Silence.” The driver in that case was never charged.
“It’s a real kick in the face to say that your loved one’s life didn’t mean anything — that it wouldn’t make a difference if we charged them, if we held them accountable,” Schnacker said. “That’s wrong. That’s absolutely wrong. That’s a huge piece of the grief and the recovery from this. It’s hard, and it takes a long time.”
The “Walk of Silence” was held near Milwaukee Avenue and Northview Street, where Bob and Florence Goar were struck on Feb. 27. Florence died that day, and Bob died nine days later. Prosecutors will decide whether the driver will face charges after they receive the police investigation.
Boise City Council President Pro Tem Elaine Clegg was out of town Wednesday, but she asked a representative from the city planning department to read a statement on her behalf. In it, she called on the Ada County Highway District to work with the city on improving the safety of the Milwaukee-Northview intersection.
She also said a broader change is needed.
“We need to change our culture and our mindset about roads and driving. Roads are public space,” Darren Fluke read from Clegg’s letter. “They are for and are filled with all kinds of users. Every user has a responsibility to be aware of and looking for all other users, not just the ones who look and act like they do. In particular, cars and trucks are many times more dangerous to all users and should be taught to be especially aware of and held responsible for that basic fact.”
Clegg also referenced a fatal crash from last October in Meridian. The Boise City Attorney’s Office, which is contracted to review cases for possible criminal prosecution, decided not to charge the concrete truck driver who struck 26-year-old Sandy Hernandez-Nuno in a crosswalk on Ustick Road at Eagle Road. She was crossing with a “walk” light, police said.
“Not holding the driver responsible further reinforces the culture that accepts pedestrians as less important and less looked after than drivers,” Clegg wrote. “In my mind, our acceptance of that is what must change. Until that happens, design will only act as a Band-Aid.”
In the past two years, 12 pedestrians have died after being hit by cars in Ada County (five in 2017 and seven in 2018).
This story was originally published March 28, 2019 at 9:12 AM.