By Bryan Schwartzman
Kenny Clarke's leg was broken after he was hit by a car while crossing 137th Avenue Nov. 1, said Taisha Williamson, the president of PS 37's Parent Teacher Association. Kenny spent two days in Jamaica Hospital before being released, said a Jamaica Hospital spokeswoman.
There were no summonses issued in the accident, said Tom Cocola, a spokesman for the DOT.
“We are always concerned about accidents near schools,” said Cocola. “Unfortunately, the accident report shows the kid ran out between two parked cars.”
Cocola said a stop-sign study was done on the intersection last summer, but the volume of traffic did not warrant a four-way stop sign or traffic light at the time.
He said the new study would take six to eight weeks and it was now much more likely the DOT would decide to install a four-way stop sign than a traffic light.
“I don't think the volume of traffic warrants a traffic light,” said Cocola.
Kenny's mother said she drops off her two sons at school and then signals to them to cross the street, but the younger did not wait for the signal the day he was hit, said Nathaniel Washington, the president of School Board 29, when he brought the matter up at last Thursday's school board meeting.
Washington said Kenny would receive home schooling for several months while his leg recovers.
“The cars always double-park and the drivers never look for the kids,” said school board member Stephen Jones.
“There is a dire need for a traffic signal. We're anxious to get something done,” Williamson said in an interview. “How many accidents will there be before we get what we need?”
Williamson said that in recent years there have been two other non-fatal accidents involving children near the school. Information about those accidents could not be obtained by presstime.
The school, which has 900 students, is located directly across the street from the site where a new Home Depot store is being built. Parents said cars often double-park and speed, and some race down Belknap Avenue from the 137th Street destination to try to beat the red light at Merrick Boulevard.
“Why do they drive so fast just to get stopped at that red light?” wondered Mobutu Boyce, who lives on Belknap Avenue and has a daughter at PS 37.
He said that several years ago a protest was held in the school to get a crossing guard. Boyce said the single crossing guard who now works in the school cannot adequately cover the several busy intersections which the children have to cross.
“I think it's about time we had a traffic light,” said Boyce.
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