'Very close call': Crash near Windsor school has parents calling for change

A scary moment Friday morning before the bell rang at John Campbell Elementary School.

“We do know that there was a red light, and from what we understand, a vehicle may have run that red light,” said Ward 4 Coun. Mark McKenzie.

“It was very close call,” said one nearby parent. “There was a kid in the car coming for drop off for the school.”

A black Volvo was travelling south on Hall Avenue and was struck by a blue Honda. The owner of the Volvo said he was dropping off his daughter at the school, she was in the back sitting on the passenger side.

They were not hurt, but the two occupants in the other vehicle were taken to hospital. The morning crash renewed a call for change around the school.

“We need change because this corner is so bad with Tecumseh Road,” said Aaron Merkestyn, chair of the school’s parent council. “People getting hit. The crossing guards were jumping out of the way.”

Some parents told CTV News the area has seen numerous near-misses and should be a school safety zone with accompanying signs.

Candice Kotchapaw has two kids that attend John Campbell Elementary School and said speed limits should also be lowered on side streets around the school.

“On the main [street] right around the school, you also need to have school slow down zones. Clearly marked indicators, a crossing sign. Something to indicate you're entering a community safety zone, and those are absent right now,” she said.

Eight years ago, the Town of LaSalle lowered the speed limit around grade schools to 30 kilometres an hour. About 50 feet away from a speed sign near Holy Cross Catholic Elementary School is a bright yellow sign warning motorists they are approaching a school crossing.

On Labelle Street near Notre Dame Catholic Elemntary School and Bellewood Public School are flashing lights that illuminate when student traffic is high.

McKenzie said he is working on the issue and hopes solutions can be found through the city's Vision Zero initiative.

“We have had discussions about [having a] flashing yellow light during school hours where the speed may actually be reduced to 40 during school hours and increased fines as well,” he said.

Shawna Boakes, executive director of operations for the city, said there is a priority list, “Based on incidents and speeds and volume of traffic in a certain area surrounding each individual school, and we're working our way through that priority list with the funding we have available.”

Boakes said when the list was created, the city looked at what could be implemented at each school, including John Campbell.

“The goal is to work our way from the top all the way to the bottom of that list,” she said.