Hit-and-run drivers have wreaked deadly havoc in South L.A. this year.
In January, at Manchester and Main, a man on a scooter died after a hit-and-run driver smashed into him and dragged him 150 feet.
In just one weekend in February, a street racer hit and killed a female pedestrian near Normandie and 66th, a speeding driver at 74th and Main left another female pedestrian to die in the street, and a driver at San Pedro and 98th hit 16-year-old Hayden Neighbors so hard that the teen's minibike was embedded in the front of the car (below). All three drivers fled those scenes.
The carnage continued on through the summer. On June 1, a speeding driver hit and killed 34-year-old bicyclist José Villalobos at Century and San Pedro. Home surveillance cameras captured Villalobos' bike giving off sparks as the fleeing driver dragged it with them toward the freeway.
Three weeks later, a hit-and-run SUV driver killed a 62-year-old male pedestrian at 83rd and Western. And a week later, at 91st and Figueroa, a female driver crashed into 25-year-old Emerson Gonzalez' vehicle, fatally injuring him. She fled on foot as Good Samaritans tried to free him from the wreckage.
Then, on the afternoon of July 22, there were yet two more deadly hit-and-runs.
At 54th and Western, a driver killed a pedestrian who may have been in the midst of a mental health crisis.
And on 83rd, between Broadway and Main, a driver who may have been traveling at speeds as high as 75mph slammed into 12-year-old Michael Kejuan Ramaun James Smith, who on his way to meet up with a friend for a bike ride.
Michael would have been 13 years old next month.
As reported by ABC7, 21-year-old Kaleah Beasley initially fled the scene, then later returned and was arrested. Beasley is being charged with Vehicular Manslaughter with Gross Negligence and Reckless Driving with Injuries.
This past Thursday, Streets Are For Everyone (SAFE), the East Side Riders Bike Club (ESRBC), and Faith for SAFE Streets joined members of Michael's family in placing a ghost bike at 83rd and Main in Michael's honor (below).
Family members remembered Michael's sweet spirit and his love for riding bikes as they called for safer streets and for drivers to consider the threat their recklessness poses to others - especially children.
As long time street safety advocates in the community, ESRBC was ready to do more. They invite readers to join them, SAFE, Faith for SAFE Streets, and Michael's family and other community members on Sunday morning, August 24, for a breakfast, memorial ride, ghost tire installation, and press conference honoring the eleven children lost to traffic violence in South L.A. just this year.
“This tragedy is not an isolated incident. We have lost too many children and families on these streets,” said John Jones III, Co-Founder and CEO of ESRBC in a statement. “The community is tired of mourning. We are demanding real accountability and real investment in safer street design. Our children deserve to live, to play, and to ride their bikes without the constant fear of reckless drivers.”
The day will begin at 8:30 a.m. with a breakfast with Michael's family at 9305 S. Broadway. At 9:30 a.m., there will be a press conference and installation of a ghost tire - representative of Michael and the other children lost this year and a reminder of the urgency of the problem of unsafe streets. Participants will reiterate their call for stronger accountability for reckless drivers, immediate traffic safety measures on 83rd Street and throughout South Los Angeles, and investments in safe street design to protect families and children. Then, around 10:30 a.m., the group will embark on a memorial bike ride, heading to the crash site at 83rd and Main before returning to 93rd and Broadway.
For more information, check out the social media pages of the East Side Riders or SAFE.
