A Clovis family is calling for improvements in traffic safety after their son was killed in a tragic bicycle accident.
The population is now also supporting them by demanding that a stop sign be put up at what they consider to be a dangerous and deadly intersection.
Sandro Lazo, 16, was riding his bike Thursday evening when he was struck by a car in the area of Fowler Avenue near Perrin Avenue in Clovis.
He was taken to the hospital and did not survive the accident.
His parents, William and Ana Lazo, are now speaking out publicly, saying his death could have been prevented if the city had listened to neighbors about the dangerous intersection.
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They say they have been reporting it for years and nothing has been done.
At Monday’s city council meeting, students from Buchannan High School chanted “Stop for Sandro” and wore T-shirts and signs with the same slogan.
Before the meeting even began, dozens more joined the city’s livestream, commenting #STOPFORSANDRO, all in an effort to push for a stop sign in his honor.
If this issue continues to be ignored, more tragedies will occur. We don’t want any other families to have to go through this. We don’t want anyone to have to suffer the pain that we feel every day, every hour of the day.
Ana said that these country roads are no longer country roads. With the growing population, they have become a busy intersection that people use.
“Neighbors in the area have been asking for a stop sign there for years and you continue to ignore the issue, saying it’s a county decision,” Willaim told council members. “If you don’t do something, you might as well turn the corner lot into a cemetery because neighbors say all the lives were lost there.”
They also mentioned the accident that had occurred near the same intersection just a week earlier.
On July 31, 25-year-old Kaiden Bailey of Clovis was hit by a car and also died.
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According to the CHP, both accidents are still under investigation.
City council members said they would work with the county to make changes.
They also began the meeting on Monday with a minute’s silence to pay respect to the victims of the crashes.
Nathan Magsig, Fresno County District 5 Supervisor, also said, “…there is nothing I can do to bring these family members back. As someone who has experienced the tragedy of the sudden loss of a loved one, I feel for the families. I can tell you that Fresno County is absolutely committed to making sure that all of the roads in our Fresno County are as safe as possible.”
He explains that the county has been working with the city of Clovis for several years regarding traffic between city and county lines.
He says traffic studies are being conducted on Fowler Avenue, among other places.
According to Magsig, many of the accidents are due to speeding, illegal turns and inattentive or impaired driving.
He’s asking the community to slow down. He can’t stress this enough.
The Lazo family would like to thank Miranda and Joseph, who live right in front of the house and came to their son’s aid after the accident.
They were told that the couple had witnessed many fatal accidents there and were tired of it.
Members of the Lazo family stressed that they will not stop advocating for change until it happens.
They say even if that means going to state lawmakers.
