RICHMOND, Va. β A memorial for 11-year-old Dania Bashier continues to grow as the Henrico County community mourns the Tuckahoe Middle School student who died Sunday after being struck by a vehicle while riding her bicycle on Three Chopt Road.
According to Henrico Police, Dania was riding her bike with another child around 11:30 a.m. when the children tried to cross the street near Ridge Elementary School.
"A driver was driving safely down a road that he probably had traveled quite some time, tried to avoid Dania's brother and was unable to avoid her. Immediately stopped and along with other good Samaritans, tried to render first aid, and it just wasn't enough. It is a tragedy," Misty Roundtree, supervisor for the Three Chopt district, said.
During Tuesday night's Henrico Board of Supervisors meeting, emotions were heavy as community members paid tribute to Dania and pleaded with elected leaders for safer infrastructure.
"She was a beloved daughter, sister, and member of her religious community. Mr. Rogish and I went to the mosque today to honor her," Roundtree said.
The meeting served as both a tribute and an opportunity for residents to advocate for more crosswalks, sidewalks and safer roads, especially near schools.
"This intersection has been dangerous for kids walking and biking to school. Walking or biking to school should be safe for all students. By now, some students have safer access than others depending on where they live. That does not feel fair," said Evane, a young resident speaking alongside her father.
Kate Carrithers referenced multiple recent tragedies in her plea for action.
"I speak for the need for safer streets, especially in light of the two tragic fatalities on Henrico streets in the past week. One, a woman trying to cross West Broad Street at night near Emory Wood Parkway, which is where the Sheetz gas station is, which is near my neighborhood. And then the 11-year-old girl who was riding her bicycle on Three Chopt near Ridge Elementary on Sunday morning. My heart goes out to the families and friends of these two people and to the families and friends others who have been killed on our streets. These deaths were preventable," Carrithers said.
Neighbors living near the busy Three Chopt corridor have expressed ongoing safety concerns. Liam Poland, a local resident, highlighted the area's vulnerability.
"This is a neighborhood full of kids of all ages. I see kids walking to Freeman here. I know they're walking to the middle school too and they're having to cross Three Chopt there," Poland said.
Residents are calling for the speed limit on Three Chopt to be reduced to 25 mph at all times. Henrico Police say they are looking at installing speed cameras and crosswalks to improve safety.
Currently, there are four crosswalks along Three Chopt Road between Eastridge and Westbury Drive, all located near Freeman High School. However, a half mile down the road near Tuckahoe Middle School and Ridge Elementary, there are no crosswalks.
"You're playing Russian roulette because you're trying to get to safety, and you're doing it in a fast pace and like I said, young kids don't think twice like adults do," Kitty Hall said.
County leaders acknowledge the urgency for immediate change while several long-term projects are in development across the county.
"We are prioritizing, and have been prioritizing trying to making our streets safer," Roundtree said. "I promise you, we're going to do the work. We're gonna do the work and we're gonna invest the money and we're gonna be thoughtful and our staff is gonna do all the things that they know that we're prioritizing to make our streets safer."
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