HOUSTON – An 11-year-old boy is recovering after he was hit by a speeding truck while crossing the street.
Raul Moreno’s mother said although her son will be able to walk again soon, she still wants something done now about the traffic and pedestrian safety along Gulf Bank Road where Moreno was hit.
“You have to walk in a ditch or try to cross the other way so they don’t walk beside the street. With the high traffic and everybody speeding down, something has to be done,” said Elizabeth Sanchez, Raul’s mother.
“I don’t want them to end up like I did. I’d rather have sidewalks to make sure they will be okay,” Moreno said about the other children in the area.
Community organizer, Shirley Ronquillo, said the intersection on Gulf Bank Road between Airline and Hardy has been a problem in the community for years.
“You don’t see any sidewalk crossings, you don’t see any crosswalks. This is years of negligence and lack of investment in infrastructure that is common in unincorporated Harris County. There’s a lot of children in the area, so the need is now,” said Shirley Ronquillo of the Houston Department of Transformation.
Due to recent redistricting, all of Gulf Bank Road now falls under the jurisdiction of Precinct 2 Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia.
He said there are plans in place to improve sidewalks and safety, and Gulf Bank is a major priority.
“I’ll be working with Commissioner Ellis to take on the study that he started and make sure our teams are coordinated,” said Garcia.
KPRC 2 reached out to the office of Precinct 1 Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis for more on the study, when it began and why it has taken this long. As of Wednesday afternoon, we have not received a response.
Once the study is complete and a plan is approved, it could take up to six months before construction begins. Those who live here in this area said that is just too long.
