​On an ordinary Saturday afternoon in April, my brother Wyatt was doing what every 8th grader should feel safe doing—riding his bike in a school zone with friends. Then the unthinkable happened. Like many people in small towns and communities across Connecticut, Wyatt and his four friends were simply looking to enjoy the residential streets and sidewalks designed for people to jog, walk their dogs and infants in strollers, and enjoy riding their bikes on a sunny, Spring day. 

But that innocent day turned into a nightmare when a reckless driver tore through a neighborhood replete with school zone, pedestrian, and speed limit traffic signs -  ignoring human life and basic safety - at high-speed with his SUV. The driver failed to maintain his lane, drove his SUV head-on into a group of five children crashing into my brother, before plowing through a thick hedge into a homeowner's front yard with my brother on the front grill of this driver's car and then, finally, breaking on the grass, ejecting Wyatt's broken body into the distance. What should have been a carefree day became a traumatic event that my brother, his friends, the homeowner, my family and I will never forget.

While I was grateful to be able to visit Wyatt during his week-long stay in the Intensive Care Unit and month-long stay in the hospital (instead of being limited to visiting Wyatt at the grave the driver had marked for him) and I am grateful the driver has been arrested, this gratitude does not diminish the need for justice. 

• The police report cites wear on the driver's tires evidencing a pattern of driving at high-speeds in turns.
• This is not the first time that this driver has been involved in an accident causing serious injuries to another person.
• The driver and his passenger sat in the car (the car was stuck in the garden) and stood in the distance, abstaining from providing any aid to my brother, according to multiple witnesses.

This driver must be held accountable to the fullest extend of the law for his choice to drive recklessly at high speed through a clearly marked school zone, a residential neighborhood, and for his threat to the lives of 5 children, including my brother, and his violence that day.

SIGN this petition to demand for justice for Wyatt—justice that requires an uncompromising application of the law, grounded in facts, not leniency. Wyatt’s injuries were not accidental; they were the direct result of a driver’s reckless choices. Help us send a message to the prosecutor that our lives are not negotiable and a plea deal that lets this reckless driver walk away with a slap on the wrist is not acceptable.

This devastating incident- which has permanently changed our lives - is something that our local leaders also need to explore ways to avoid from happening again. 

SIGN this petition to demand a dialog with our local and state leaders on immediate actions that can make our residential streets safer—before another child is hurt, broken or ends up dead. It could have been five children hit that day, a parent walking a dog or a child in a stroller, a jogger, a homeowner quietly enjoying their garden, or anyone.  Our family is grateful to have my brother now resting at home to continue his long road to recovery. What has happened to my brother Wyatt is truly horrific but, sadly, it is not an isolated incident nor is it even the worst case scenario. What happened to Wyatt should be a warning to all of us.

We owe it to our children- and to ourselves- to do better. Each situation is unique and we need a dialog around which solutions best help to increase safety on streets and intersections that are most frequently a risk, like:

• Speed bumps, traffic lights and stop signs
• Traffic cameras at dangerous intersections or street sections
• Public awareness postings warning reckless drivers of penalties
• Increased fines and tougher penalties for drivers who are determined to be at fault and which involve serious injury. 

Please don't walk away without lending your support by SIGNING this petition. Do it for the children of Norwalk, Rowayton, Darien, New Canaan and Stamford (his 4 friends, also victims), and for every resident pedestrian, biker and homeowner in Fairfield County and Connecticut State with a house adjacent to the road. Do it for yourself, before it is too late and tragedy strikes unexpectedly again. We all deserve for the streets in front of our homes, and our front yards, to be a safe space to ride, walk, and live without fear of reckless drivers.

No donations required here. Once you sign the petition, it may email you to ask for financial support to advertise on the Change.org platform, but we don't need this. We prefer advertising by people-power (sharing on your social platforms, via email, and inviting others to do the same).