It's probably the most forgotten rule that drivers exercise: a full stop at a stop sign.
However, in historic downtown Greendale, that rule might have seemed to take on a greater significance after the community mourned the death of Ava Marie Zimmerman, who was tragically killed by a car on April 14, 2010.
The tragic event was turned into a positive event with Ava’s Walk, which sought to create a greater awareness for pedestrian safety after the girl was killed crossing the street with her bike in a marked crosswalk.
Deciding to see whether the crosswalks are any safer, Greendale Patch took a brief video at Broad Street and Northway, right across from Village Hall. Although there weren't pedestrians in the crosswalk, drivers nonetheless did not stop for the stop signs, with some barely slowing down. In addition when we waited to cross at a crosswalk that didn't have a posted stop sign, but a fluorescent marker, several cars zipped by before one stopped as we approached to cross.
You be the judge: Do you feel we're any more careful since the Greendale tragedy?
Having said that, I have seen the unmarked squad (I won't say where) keeping an eye on that intersection. So, it is being patrolled...just not 24/7.
The official reports conclude that Ava's death was NOT caused by a driver running the stop sign. Ms. Nalencz had posted on the internet months before the accident that she could NOT DRIVE AT NIGHT so she certainly DID know her eye condition interfered with her safe driving ability. How about an article about Wisconsin's lax policy regarding drivers license renewals especially for the aging?