Andrew Stuart and Stacia Stuart were not just victims of a tragic accident.
They were my family. They were loved. They were vibrant. They were someone’s whole world.

They were walking in the crosswalk behind Las Animas Elementary School — a place meant to be safe. A place where children walk every morning with backpacks and parents hold little hands. A place our community trusts.

And in an instant, everything changed.

They were killed by a teenage driver in a crosswalk that did not have adequate safety measures. A crosswalk used daily by students, families, teachers, and neighbors. A crosswalk that sits in the heart of a busy neighborhood.

I replay that reality over and over in my mind.
A marked crosswalk.
Behind an elementary school.
And still… it wasn’t enough.

Andrew and Stacia did everything right. They were where they were supposed to be. And they paid with their lives.

I started this petition because I cannot sit quietly in this grief. I cannot accept that this is simply “how things happen.” I cannot accept that we wait for tragedy before we act.

Flashing crosswalk lights are not extreme. They are not unreasonable. They are proven to dramatically increase visibility and reduce pedestrian accidents. They alert drivers. They create awareness. They buy seconds — and sometimes seconds are the difference between life and death.

To our city leaders, council members, and decision-makers:

How many tragedies does it take before prevention becomes a priority?
How many families have to stand at a gravesite before safety is addressed?

This crosswalk serves hundreds of children every single day. Parents should not have to feel fear when their child walks to school. Families should not have to wonder if the painted lines on the road are enough to protect them.

Andrew and Stacia cannot be brought back. Nothing will change that.

But their deaths must mean something.

We are asking you — respectfully but urgently — to prioritize the installation of flashing crosswalk lights at this location. 

This is not about blame.
This is about responsibility.
This is about preventing another phone call that shatters a family forever.

If one life is saved because visibility improved… if one child makes it home safely because a driver saw flashing lights in time… then this fight matters.

Please sign. Please share. Please stand with us.

Let Andrew and Stacia Stuart’s legacy be one of protection, awareness, and change.

We cannot undo what happened.
But we can refuse to let it happen again.