Saskatoon community association calls for safety measures after 9-year-old girl's death

SASKATOON -

The head of a neigbbourhood community association is calling for additional safety measures following the death of a nine-year-old girl.

Baeleigh Emily Maurice was killed when she was hit by a truck while riding a scooter in the city's Mayfair neighbourhood. Police are still investigating the crash.

The president of the Hudson Bay Park-Mayfair-Kelsey Woodlawn Community Association said she plans to ask City Council for changes along 33rd Street West where the collision happened.

“Because it is a major artery in terms of getting people around, people are in a hurry,” Diane Bentley told CTV News.

“Sometimes people just don’t pay attention to what’s going on around them. They could be distracted, they could be focused on something else.”

Bentley said she is drafting a letter to present to council and the Board of Police Commissioners.

“There are a number of things they could do. If you notice the crosswalk lines are faded and perhaps brighter painting on the crosswalks,” said Bentley.

“There are so many groups and organizations that paint colourful crosswalks.”

Other crosswalks in the neighbourhood have a set of lights which she says would be a good start for the intersection. Bentley is also open to the idea of temporarily lowering the speed limit.

“What would be wrong with reducing the speed limits, and you would have to do in the entire neighbourhood, to 40 km/h for a month,” said Bentley.

“Even just a month to draw drivers’ attention to the fact that something happened here, something tragic.”

Bentley said she hopes to present suggestions for improving safety at the city's next transportation committee meeting scheduled for Oct. 4.

Bobbi Crowe has lived in the Mayfair neighbourhood for 10 years and shares Bentley's concerns.

“I see a lot of issues with the street. The way people drive through this street, it’s like they feel they have a license to race," Crowe said.

“I would like to see radar checks put here.”

Crowe said she lives next door to the home Baeleigh was heading to when she was killed.

According to the girl's mother, she was making the short trip from her grandmother's house to her cousin's.

A vigil was held on Friday to remember the Baeleigh.

People attending were asked to bring Baby Yoda toys because she loved the character.

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