The death of a 12-year-old boy as he walked to school in northwest Miami-Dade has sparked questions about the safety of school zones, and now one school board member is taking action.
Last Thursday morning, Mathayas Ruedas was walking to Biscayne Gardens Elementary School with his younger siblings when a white SUV struck him. He died after spending four days in the hospital.
A stretch of Northwest 151st Street outside of the school is no stranger to speeding drivers.
"I just served witness here with the crossing guard with his whistle with his stop sign was just gesturing to drivers to slow down. You are in a school zone," Miami-Dade school board member Steve Gallon said Wednesday.
Get South Florida local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters.
Gallon personally thanked the school crossing guard after watching him signal to drivers to slow down.
Biscayne Gardens Elementary School sits right next to I-95, making it a particularly busy school zone with drivers getting on and off the interstate and passing right in front of the school.
Local
"(Ruedas) was doing what represents the normalcy of childhood – going to school, walking to school," Gallon said.
According to data from the National Highway Safety Administration, between 2017 and 2021, 43 children aged 18 or younger died in school zones after being struck as pedestrians, an average of about nine per year.
"I’ll be bringing an item to the board to have a discussion around this particular issue again to raise awareness at the board level to see how we can continue to work with our strategic partners," Gallon said.
The school board does not have jurisdiction over crossing guards since they’re hired by the county government, but Gallon said the solution should go beyond crossing guards or speed zones.
"It's going to be incumbent upon the drivers to be aware of where they are and the fact that, although the sign may not be flash flashing, although the sign does not indicate the 7:15 starting zone for school speed zones, we have to be mindful, we have to be cognizant that our children are walking to school 6:30, 7 o’clock in the morning before it’s even daylight is broken," Gallon said.
As leaders work to figure out a solution, the investigation into how and why Ruedas was hit and killed continues. It’s unclear right now if the driver will face any charges.
