Montgomery County Jail records indicate the suspect is 55-year-old Jeffrey Atkinson. He could face charges of vehicular assault, leaving the scene of an accident and operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
A group of people who live and work near Wayne Avenue or who regularly travel along the busy corridor say it’s dangerous and roadway upgrades are needed to make it safer.
“On behalf of the Wayne Avenue Traffic Safety Coalition, we are saddened to have to witness yet another incident of negligent traffic violence outside the doorsteps of our homes and local businesses,” the group wrote in a prepared statement. “The coalition has been working with the city officials and the Ohio Department of Transportation on a Safety Study to help improve safety conditions for everyone who travels on Wayne Avenue, but we know we cannot prevent traffic crashes with infrastructure improvements alone. It is our hope that everyone reading this understands that driving is a responsibility, and that life inside and outside of your vehicle depends on your own self awareness.”
Around 9:20 p.m. Monday, a 2006 Hummer H3 traveling northeast on Clover Street attempted to turn left at Wayne Avenue. The vehicle failed to yield the right of way to a family with children in the crosswalk, according to a crash report filed by Dayton police.
The Hummer hit an 9-year-old girl on a bicycle and two pedestrians.
“The driver ultimately struck multiple family members, but his vehicle caught a (young) girl on her bicycle and basically drug her down the street for about a half a mile before the girl became dislodged from the vehicle,” said Dayton police Sgt. Gordon Cairns.
The 9-year-old was taken to Miami Valley Hospital with serious injuries. Police said she is expected to survive.
The other two children crossing the street were listed as a 9-year-old girl and a 1-year-old girl, according to the crash report. The girls were legally in the crosswalk, Cairns said.
Police said the driver fled the scene, but witnesses followed the Hummer and relayed its location to officers. Police arrested the driver.
“Now we’re investigating this as a felony hit-and-run, OVI, as well as an aggravated vehicular assault,” Cairns said.
The roads were closed for more than three hours due to the crash. The Dayton Police Department Traffic Services Unit is continuing to investigate and collect additional footage of the crash.
Since late summer of last year, a group of concerned community members and stakeholders called the Wayne Avenue Traffic Safety Coalition has asked the city to take steps to try to improve safety along a stretch of Wayne Avenue from Bainbridge Street, just north of U.S. 35, to Wyoming Street, near the Wendy’s and Sunoco gas station.
The Ohio Department of Transportation, at the behest of the city, will help complete a safety study of that section of Wayne Avenue.
Coalition members have said that Wayne Avenue has great shops and businesses, but it’s scary walking along the roadway to visit these destinations. Coalition members have said they would like to see the speed limit lowered on Wayne Avenue, and they want new bike lanes, tree canopies and enhanced crosswalks.
Some members said they would like Wayne Avenue to be put on a road diet, but city officials say reducing the number of lanes is not feasible.
The group was created after a pedestrian, Jennifer Johnson, was struck and killed on Wayne Avenue by a speeding truck that crashed near Clover Street.
“That was when a lot of us came together and said we really want transformative change for Wayne Avenue,” said Laura Estandia, vice president of the coalition, back in January. “We’re looking for a solution that will slow traffic and that will keep our neighbors safe.”
ODOT said it will help complete the study as part of its statewide safety program.
David Escobar, Dayton’s city engineer, said the city is working with ODOT and a consultant on the safety study.
He said the consultant, the Environmental Design Group, was in town a couple of weeks ago to walk the corridor and do a preliminary evaluation.
Escobar said the consultant spoke with neighbors to hear their concerns. Community members can provide public feedback about their views on Wayne Avenue at www.surveymonkey.com/r/WAYNEAVENUEPUBLICINPUTSURVEY.
Escobar said Monday’s incident further illustrates the need for an action plan for safety upgrades along the Wayne Avenue corridor.
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