October Editorial Winner

Much at Stake: Better answers needed for high-risk school crossings

By Jeff Funk, Enid News & Eagle

The tragic death of school crossing guard Dan Luskey this past week calls into question how schools and law enforcement handle the everyday potential for problems where young children and vehicles are using the same sections of public streets at the same time.

Luskey, 61, had been a school paraprofessional, substitute teacher and crossing guard at various schools in Enid. He also was a part-time pastor, and he enjoyed working with children, often dressing up in character to entertain children while delivering a message. His engaging personality and character made his death especially painful. However, the details of the accident leading to Luskey’s death were not all that extraordinary, meaning a closer look is needed at these high-risk situations.

Luskey was a crossing guard standing in a crosswalk in the middle of an intersection outside Enid’s Glenwood Elementary School when a pickup driven by Roberto Cruz-Lopez turned the corner, striking him. Luskey fell backwards, hit his head and sustained critical brain injuries. He was taken off life support three days later.

Cruz-Lopez, although he had a horrendous record of driving infractions, was moving only about 5 to 7 mph at the time of the accident, police said. Literally hundreds of vehicles go through that same intersection at similar or faster speeds during school zone hours every day. The potential for accidents is huge.

There is no perfect fix to this risky situation, but Enid Public Schools, city of Enid and Enid Police Department wisely set about finding solutions with a meeting Tuesday, both listening to and reassuring other school crossing guards.

Enid has about 25 schools within the city limits, and each one requires a unique set of traffic, pedestrian, pick up/drop off and parking rules. Many schools use student crossing guards, which is a practice that deserves careful scrutiny and likely should be discontinued.

Glenwood, a large elementary school at the intersection of two busy city streets, is one of the highest risk locations for traffic-pedestrian accidents. Both four-lane Oakwood and two-lane Chestnut carry an immense amount of traffic, especially from 7:30 to 8 a.m. weekdays. All four approaches to the intersection have paved right-turn lanes, which are used liberally for turning right on red.

But some driving issues are not unique to that location. Drivers anywhere heading east at 7:30 to 8 in the morning often will have the bright morning sun glaring in their eyes, so windshields need to be clean and clear. That’s something only drivers, all drivers, must be responsible for maintaining.

But, slower speeds in school zones and harsh warnings to drivers to pay attention and keep their vision clear are not sufficient answers. The traffic flow and student crossing procedures at all schools need a careful review. Hand-wringing and mourning are not adequate responses. The stakes are too high — as we’ve seen this past week — to accept such high risks.