"Death is not the greatest loss of life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live." ~Norman Cousins

On September 4, 2021, our 16-year old son, Aiden Tai Gossage, was walking in a marked crosswalk—at the intersection of Los Coyotes Diagonal and Deborah Street (Long Beach, California)—when he was struck by a driver suspected of being impaired. The speed at which the driver was operating his vehicle killed Aiden; he died of severe catastrophic injuries. Driving ~60mph on a 40mph street—around a curve approaching a crosswalk—the driver was so reckless; he did not not take evasive action, he did not apply his brakes on time to avoid hitting Aiden. Upon impact, Aiden was wedged onto the front hood of the car; the driver continued with him for over 160 feet before coming to a full stop. Aiden was then thrown another 30 feet. The markings on the street show the area of impact (AOI) and the point of rest (POR). Good Samaritans and peace officers performed life-saving measures to try to save Aiden.

We are Aiden Tai Gossage's parents. We are comforted knowing that Aiden was not alone when he died; he was held and cradled by good Samaritans. A roadside memorial was set up; and we thank the community for their collective grief, kindness, and love.

The death of a child defies the natural order. Children should not precede parents in death. The death of a child represents more than loss of life. It is the loss of future hopes, dreams, experiences shared by family and community. Aiden's death is so traumatic. We feel profound sadness knowing that he is no longer with us in the physical world. From the deepest part of our grief, we seek a sense of life purpose for Aiden, his brother (Luke), our family, and our community. We do not want any parents to experience this intense pain; it is unbearable.

The purpose of this petition is to canvas our community for interest regarding traffic safety and speed limit enforcement. We are requesting that the City of Long Beach:

1. Upgrade the existing pedestrian-activated flashing yellow light at the intersection of Los Coyotes Diagonal and Deborah Street. Drivers do not yield on yellow; and through the years, people have become habituated to speeding up when they see a yellow light. Replace it either with a pedestrian signal head (the symbol of the Walking Person) or a flashing red light.
2. Install more street lighting along Los Coyotes Diagonal. There are three (3) street lights; and these are located at the crosswalk. Los Coyotes Diagonal is very dark, especially along the sidewalk and bike path.
3. Trim back tree branches to provide a clear path over the sidewalk and along the bike path.
4. Increase traffic enforcement for reckless, high-speed, impaired, and DUI driving.

Friends, family, community members: Please make your voice known. Please sign this petition.