DENVER — Two months after a car hit and killed a young boy in a busy Denver intersection, the surrounding neighborhood is working with the city on a solution.
Three-year-old Austin Strasser was trying to cross University Boulevard with his mother and sister in February, when a vehicle struck them while trying to turn off of Ohio Street in the Bonnie Brae neighborhood. The little boy died of severe head injuries, his mother and sister were also injured.
On Wednesday night, neighbors and business owners from the neighborhood gathered inside the Eugene Field Library, just a few feet from the intersection, in order to discuss solutions with representatives from Denver Police, Public Works and the Mayor’s Office.
Library staff were among the first people to see the aftermath of the crash.
“We went out and it was just, it was chaos,” said librarian Kristen Monroe, who helped organize the event. “(The meeting) is trying to find something positive out of something so terrible and trying to enact change.”
Wednesday night’s meeting was a chance for residents to ask about potential fixes. Suggestions included the following:
- Changes to the traffic signals
- Increased speed enforcement
- Better warning signs
“Something to slow them down before they get to this intersection would be very helpful in my opinion,” said one man in attendance.
Though solutions will take time, everyone knows this is where healing starts.
“Whenever we have a tragedy like this we have to look hard and fast at it and determine what’s the best way to bring everyone together to work on a solution,” said Joseph Montoya, Denver Police District 3 commander.