A child struck by a car Monday morning near a Northwest D.C. school has raised calls to improve safety in the area of Truesdell Elementary School in the Brightwood Park neighborhood.
Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Zach Israel (4D04) said the boy’s arm was broken when he was struck by a car on Ingraham Street outside Truesdell Elementary School.
D.C. police confirmed that a juvenile male pedestrian was struck by a vehicle on the 800 block of Ingraham Street Northwest, but did not know the extent of injuries.
The crash happened 10 months after 4-year-old Zyaire Joshua was struck and killed just a couple of blocks away from the school on Kennedy Street Northwest near Georgia Avenue.
“You know how kids can be, they can run across the street really quickly, even if they’re told by their parents: look both ways; go in the crosswalk,” Israel said.
Israel said that last August, he submitted a request to the District Department of Transportation for a traffic safety investigation of the area, including the installation of speed humps on Ingraham Street in front of the school.
“We’re still waiting for confirmation from DDOT on getting those speed humps approved and installed within the next few months,” Israel said.
Other safety improvements under consideration near the school are converting to a one-way street the 800 block of Ingraham Street, in front of the school, adding raised crosswalks and flashing pedestrian signs.
Israel said safety margins could also be increased by restricting types of traffic on the street during morning drop-off and afternoon pickup.
There are also bills under consideration by the D.C. Council to boost safety measures near all schools in the District, including expanding the length of school zones.
WTOP’s Valerie Bonk contributed to this story.
