Hill District neighbors calling for change after 4-year-old boy hit by vehicle

PITTSBURGH — People living in the city’s Hill District want to see change on Webster Avenue after a 4-year-old boy was hospitalized in a hit-and-run.

>> Boy, 4, hit by vehicle in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, driver flees scene

“Something needs to stop, really, seriously,” Andrew Swain, who lives on Webster Avenue, said.

Channel 11′s cameras were rolling as several cars blew through a stop sign on Webster Avenue in a matter of minutes.

That issue and speeding on the street explain why some neighbors are demanding action.

“Traffic, it’s just flying,” said Rev. Lisa Richbourg, who lives in the Hill District. “It never ever stops, and I’ve witnessed running through stop signs. I’ve witnessed rolling stops.”

The community came together Tuesday night at Bethel A.M.E. Church to air their concerns in front of the mayor and other local and federal leaders.

The meeting comes after a driver hit Elijah, 4, as he was crossing Webster Avenue on Feb. 1, and then took off. The driver accused of hitting him is scheduled to be back in court on March 6.

Elijah’s mother Shawntae Averytt said her son is now healing. His scars are still visible.

“He’s doing really good,” Averytt said. “He’s back to playing like nothing ever happened.”

Neighbors are pushing for speed bumps on five blocks of Webster, flashing school lights and a crosswalk or crossing guard in front of Kelly’s Kingdom daycare.  They said they’ve complained about safety concerns many times in a year’s span.

Mayor Ed Gainey said he’s committed and working to making streets safer.

While neighbors are hopeful, they said it shouldn’t have taken this long and a hit-and-run crash to get leaders to listen.

“It’s very frustrating,” Averytt said. “I’m hoping we get a speed bump, but I’m also hoping drivers just slow down.”

The mayor’s office said they have to do a traffic study first to see if the road meets certain requirements for the proposed safety measures. The study is expected to be done by the end of March.

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