Crime & Safety

Fatal Crash Witness Hopes to Improve Roadway Safety

In the wake of the fatal accident, one witness said she is hoping to organize an effort to ensure nothing like it ever happens again.

For some of the witnesses of the fatal freeway crash that took the life of 2-year-old Leiana Ramirez in August, guilt is the one emotion that lingers nearly two months after the accident.

Mount Washington resident Jennifer Kert, 43, is one of those witnesses.

She told Highland Park-Mount Washington Patch that she was about 20 cars back when .

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"Reflecting on what happened, it's terrible," she said. "You just feel guilty. You think, 'I should have been up there sooner.'"

Now Kert said she's hoping she can transform those feelings into some productive action.

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According to other witnesses who spoke to Patch, several nearby motorists and residents attempted to save the child, but were unable to because they lacked the proper tools.

"There was one guy who was trying to get the door open, but it was basically too late," witness Steven Goodrich told Patch in a previous interview. "Someone from one of the houses along the freeway got a fire extinguisher, it was too late. He didn't even know how to use it, though."

Capt. Tony Navarro of Fire Station 12 in Highland Park said that, had any of the nearby motorists been equipped with a fire extinguisher and the knowledge of how to use it, they might have saved Leiana Ramirez's life. 

"A dry chemical extinguisher provides a temporary fix. It puts the fire out for a short period of time," he said. "If anyone had a fire extinguisher, they could have put the fire down and made an attempt to save the child."

Kert also noticed that firefighters were extremely hampered in their ability to respond to the accident by the Arroyo Seco Parkway's lack of fire lanes.

Navarro said that the narrowness of the parkway makes it difficult to navigate a large fire apparatus.

"It's very narrow, and when there's an accident the parkway can close up very quickly," he said. "It can make responding to accidents difficult."

Kert said she's not entirely sure what can be done to prevent another fatal accident like the one that killed Leiana Ramirez, but she said she's willing to organize a working group to help foster a discussion about the problem. 

She encouraged anyone else interested in brainstorming about safety issues on the 110 to contact her.

"Is there something we can do with the freeway? Maybe we could start some sort of campaign to ensure that everyone who drives on the road is encouraged to keep a fire extinguisher in their car," she said. "I think this is an opportunity for those who couldn't do anything for Leiana Ramirez to save someone else."

 

Jennifer Kert can be reached at jkert@goodnplentymedia.com


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