Brighton Makes Changes After Student Hit And Killed Near School
BRIGHTON, Colo. (CBS4) -
Staff and students mourning a 15-year-old girl hit by a car while walking by Brighton High School hope they can honor her memory just days after she died.
"She was a great girl," said Jonah Johnson, a senior at Brighton High School. "It just happened so fast."
Brighton Police say Lesly Rodriguez was hit by a pick-up truck on Oct. 24 at 7:55 a.m. at the intersection of 9th Ave. and Egbert St. The driver is a 17-year-old boy that also attends Brighton High School. Investigators have not announced any charges in the case yet.
"This is still a small town and people act like a family and treat people like a family," said John Biner, principal at Brighton High School.
School administrators say they're talking to the families of both students to help them through this difficult time. They also are trying to make sure the student body has all the accurate information about case. Grief counselors have been on campus the past few days and will be back next week.
"We look at every avenue we can to make sure kids are safe," Biner.
The school district reached out to the City of Brighton to improve the intersection. It is now a four-way stop and has more signs as well as flashers to help drivers and pedestrians.
Administrators say they hope this deadly accident can teach students to be more careful when they're walking and driving around school. Too often students are on their phones or using headphones.
"What I've noticed is that kids are not as aware of their environment as they once were,"said Biner.
Students are focused on celebrating Rodriguez's life for now and some have planned fundraisers in her name. There is also a GoFundMe for her: gf.me/u/dvrtm8.
"I don't want her to be forgotten," Johnson added. "I want people to remember who she was and what kind of energy she would push out into the community."
