On Tuesday, July 26th, 7 year-old Gabriel Garate was crossing the 23rd St. and Lakewood Blvd. intersection with his father. Although they had the right of way, Gabriel was struck and killed by the driver of a pickup truck. In the words of Gabriel's father, Francisco, "It should have never happened." 

This intersection is close to a park, daycare, Montessori school, and Buffum Total Learning Center, a campus for special-needs preschoolers. Drivers are known to speed on this stretch of Lakewood Blvd., which is between a 405 off-ramp and the traffic circle. Children and their caretakers should not be put into danger  when crossing this intersection.

We are advocating for increased safety measures at the 23rd Street/ Lakewood Blvd. intersection so that members of our community can feel safer and in hopes of preventing tragedies like the one that occurred this week.